A Traveling Armory
by Laze0
Summary: Another new summary. I suck at them. An old weapons dealer comes across one of the last survivors of a tribe. Can they survive the journey for her vengeance or will they die before meeting their goal. And what are the secrets the man is keeping from them?
1. A Lost Tribe

Okay. It's me again. So this is a new story. I felt like writing it so here it is. I should probably update my other story but well. Anyways, don't like don't read.

Disclaimer- Not mine

* * *

Chapter 1- A Lost Tribe

"Aye. It's a fine day to be traveling through Sacae," the forty-year-old caravan man said as he drove his horses faster through the wild, beautiful plains of Sacae.

The Sacaen plains have been untouched for centuries. Even during the Souring, the war with the Dragons, the plains emerged miraculously unscratched. While due to the war taking place in Lycia, Bern, and the Dread Isles mainly, the majesty of the Sacaen plains still made travelers marvel whether this was divine protection from St. Elimine herself.

"Now where are the Lorcas? They should be in this area this time of the season. Maybe I have the wrong time? No. This is right. So where? Perhaps they have been delayed by the rainy season?" the man pondered as he slowed his horses down to a trot. He busily scanned the surrounding area in hopes of seeing a Lorcan tribesman.

It was dawn when he set out, and now it was nearly sunset. If he can't impose on the Lorcas then he will need to ride through the night to reach the closest village of Muhir. Muhir was not a bad city per say. It was quite the opposite. Busy and lively, it was one of the most prominent and few cities in Sacae. The inns though were another story. The last time, he stayed at Muhir, there was no place in the inns and he was forced to stay in the cramped stables along with his horses and caravan.

As the man scanned the horizon once more, he noticed a small group of gers by the river in the north. He thought that the inhabitants might be able to provide him with the answer he seeks. Thus he drove his caravan forward until he reached one of the gers. He got off the caravan and wandered around the gers. He saw to his frustration that they were all trashed. Well, all except for one. There was one ger that was clean and well taken care of. Its inhabitant was nowhere to be seen however. Suddenly, he felt a sword pressed against his throat.

"Don't move," the voice said. The voice was surprisingly female.

"Why are you looking through a nomad's home without permission?" the voice asked. There was no small trace of malice in her voice.

"I am a traveling merchant. I was heading through Sacae to peddle my goods to the tribes throughout the region. I have already stopped at the Kutolah tribe. My next destination was the Lorca tribe. I am on good relations with Hassar the chieftain. From the tone of your voice and your sword, you must be a nomad of some tribe," the man said.

The girl removed the blade from his throat but he realized she had not sheathed it. Smart move.

"I am Lyn of the Lorcas. If you seek to make trade with them, you have wasted your time. Bandits attacked the tribe two seasons ago. I am one of the few survivors," Lyn said with a trace of sadness in her voice though she was obviously trying to mask her emotions.

"I am quite sorry to hear that, but I am glad to see that there are some survivors. It's a shame though. I had hoped to have a drink with Hassar again, Elimine guide his soul, but it good to see you again young Lyn," seeing the confused look on her face he continued," I have not introduced myself yet have I? I am Mushu, a traveling merchant traveling throughout Elibe trying to peddle my goods. I visited your tribe many seasons ago and I remember seeing a young green haired girl this tall hiding behind her mother who Hassar introduced as his wife and child. You have really grown."

The grip on Lyn's sword was slackened as a flash of recognition sounded through her mind. She did recall a traveler who traveled to meet the Lorcas many seasons ago. Her father spoke highly of the traveler who was skilled in the ways of war. But the man before her was not a warrior he was a merchant. The name and story he spoke of was fitting however. Needless to say, Lyn was a bit taken back.

"I stopped fighting a long time ago. I grew weary of slaying men and working for lords who were not worthy of the respect and loyalty of those who are "beneath them"," Mushu said quietly as he realized that Hassar most likely told of a warrior who traveled to see the Lorcas.

At those words, Lyn realized the stranger before her was a family friend and quickly sheathed her sword. She apologized for her mistreatment of a guest. Mushu just shrugged her off and invited her for an outdoor meal. Lyn however declined.

"I have to hunt and stockpile meat before the cold season begins. I have to be able to provide for myself now," Lyn said solemnly.

"What is the world of Elibe coming to when a decent child has to hunt for her own meal? How about we head to Muhir for today. I'll treat you to a hot meal there and tomorrow I can help you hunt enough game for the winter if you'll like. … Actually, do you want totravel with me? You're young. You should explore this land of ours. It would be shame to waste your time just staying by yourself in that little ger of yours," Mushu ranted.

"Um, er, what?" Lyn said uncomprehending.

Mushu sighed. He thought he cured this habit of ranting but he guessed not. "Well let's just go to Muhir for now. I'll treat you to a meal. Then if there's room, we can get two rooms and then in the morning we can hunt if you want to stay here," Mushu said, slowly this time.

"Um sure. Thank you," Lyn said.

Mushu led Lyn to where he parked his caravan and helped her up the wagon. He then spurred his horses into action, heading towards Muhir. On the way, Mushu asked Lyn about the details of the bandit attack. Initially, Lyn told some of the tale. It began with poisoning the drinking water. But near the end of the story, about where her father placed her on a horse and sent her off before returning to the fray made her end up shedding tears.

Mushu sighed and thought, "What tribulations this one had to endure! At this point, her mind is one of sadness and vengeance. If I left her alone, she will one day attack the Talivers, I believe, and end up losing her life. She does not yet have the power or skill of her father. St. Elimine, spirits of Sacae, and whatever religions that protect man, I ask you to guide this child somehow if I am unable."

"We're here," Mushu said quietly to Lyn. He made several stops along the way to comfort the child and uttered to her consoling words but he sensed her spirits were ravaged and the wounds will need time to heal, even then it may not be enough. Now they were less than a mile from Muhir. Mushu thought he should snap Lyn out of her reverie and have her take in the surroundings. Lyn gave a muttered acknowledgement and headed closer to Mushu's driver seat.

With the eyes of a hunter, akin to her clan, Lyn noticed movement out of the corner of her eyes. Mushu also noticed the movement, just a second after Lyn and gave her a silent nod. He slowed the caravan and waited for the movement to pass.

"Hm. I thought the bandits would attack us," Mushu mused.

Recognition came to Lyn and she said, "They are heading to Muhir. They will attack the city!"

"Then shall we head back? I would prefer to avoid bandits," Mushu said seriously.

"We can't do that. Muhir is well populated but the guards are inexperienced. In the past attacks, many of their guards were killed or injured. They have inadequate defenses. I refuse to let bandits attack and kill innocents!" Lyn said firmly.

"Don't act like you are some kind of hero kid. In my lifetime, I have learned there are no heroes, just men who have gone beyond for their own dreams or desires. Vanity rules. All is perspective. Those bandits may be raiding because they have a sick friend who needs money for a healing that they can't afford. They may be attacking to get food for their starving comrades. They may be attacking for their so-called rightful vengeance. Is it our right to deny these people what we ourselves desire?" Mushu ranted sagely.

Lyn let a few moments for his words to digest before realizing all those words were aimed at her. This made her angry that he would compare those greedy blackhearts to her.

"I am nothing like those bandits. I hunt for my food. I earn my gold honorably. I want vengeance because… because…" Lyn trailed off.

"You kill to eat. You sell your kills or harvest for gold. You want vengeance because it is your right. As long as you harbor those feelings and can't admit it, you are the same as them," Mushu said not unkindly.

Lyn got angrier and grabbed a sword in a barrel before jumping off the wagon and running off while shouting, "If you are too cowardly to fight them, then I will. I don't care about their reasons. I will do what I believe is right."

"Wait. If you go, you can die. For Elimine's sake…" Mushu cried before hiding his caravan in the nearby woods. He grabbed a sword from the same barrel Lyn got hers from and chased after her.

Lyn was right. The bandits were few, perhaps ten of them. The guards of Muhir were, as Lyn predicted, ill prepared for the fight. She saw four guardsmen barely holding off a tag-teamed fight. Three more were lying on the ground unmoving. Without thinking, Lyn rushed into the fight and killed a bandit.

With her element of surprise gone though, the bandits realized their new opponent was a mere child. This made them angrier at the fact that the girl killed one of their own. Lyn headed to a guard who was being doubled and helped him fend off the two bandits. They were still overwhelmed.

However, reinforcements were coming to help Lyn. Two more guardsmen appeared. From their level of skill, it was obvious they were well-trained infantry. With their help, the bandits' number started falling. Casualties on both side was high though. Only three bandits were left. The veteran guardsmen were out of the fight. They had previous wounds but still headed into the fray. The other guardsmen were either too badly wounded to continue, unconscious, or dead. Lyn had the least injuries and was the last line of defense in a sense.

One of the remaining bandits charged her and shouted, "You worthless wench. You dare to attack me? Batta the Beast?"

The other two bandits started moving to help their leader. Lyn thought that this may really be it. She felt guilty that she yelled at Mushu. Dying feeling guilty, made Lyn sad. She was going to leave this world feeling guilty.

Suddenly the two bandits heading towards Lyn was cut in half. Behind them, Lyn saw Mushu. She was grateful that he decided to come help. Her moment of carelessness however caused her to miss her timing and get a cut from Batta's axe to the leg. When she thought he would strike the final blow, she saw a sword protruding from Batta's chest.

"How can this be?" Batta croaked before he died.

"You children always make your elders worry," Mushu sighed before he helped Lyn get up and walked her to the healers who by now were healing the guardsmen. Four guardsmen were dead, but the bandits were routed. It was a hollow victory but a victory nonetheless.

As a healer was treating Lyn, she asked Mushu why he came. Mushu just shrugged and said that if he let her die, he wouldn't be a very good role model now would he? Lyn just laughed and thanked him.

When the healers were finished, Mushu led Lyn to the inn. Seeing that it was the two who helped save their city from being raided, there were conveniently two rooms. Mushu told Lyn to get some rest as neither of them were hungry. Tomorrow they will talk about what Lyn wants to do.

* * *

So how was it? Let me know. RRR


	2. A Life Changing Decison

New chapters up (No duh). Well thanks to Gunlord500 for the reviews. This and my other story. Hope you guys like this. Don't like don't read. That's my stand.

Disclaimer- Don't own.

* * *

Chapter 2- A Life Changing Decision

The next morning, Lyn and Mushu have a good breakfast at the inn. After breakfast, Mushu went to check on his caravan and told Lyn to go check out the city of Muhir. Thus Lyn was left to her own devices. She wandered through the city of Muhir. Because of the recent bandit attack, many of the travelers left late last night thus the streets were remarkably empty for a center of trade like Muhir.

With shops still closed, there was not much for Lyn to do. She eventually settled on heading back and seeing if the old Mushu needed any help with his caravan. When she got there, Mushu was just finishing up and motioned for her to get in. With the supplies checked and the two in the caravan, Mushu spurred his horses towards the city gate and back to Lyn's ger.

In Lyn's mind, she felt several emotions. She was enjoying the older man's company. In a short span of time, he had become something like a second father figure to her. That and the prospect of living alone on the plains made her feel depressed and anxious. She still remembered the offer Mushu made to her last night and later on this morning. She was sorely tempted to join him, but she swore to Father Sky and Mother Earth that she would get vengeance on the Talivers. Faced with the moral and emotional dilemma, she was silent through much of the trip back.

Mushu again remained silent though noticing Lyn deep in thought. He understood the predicament the girl was going through. On one hand, she could expand her horizons and go on journeys, explore the unknown, or do other things girls her age should be doing and thinking of. On the other, if she should leave, she might very well forget about her revenge, her very heritage. He had no place in this, as he was never a Sacaen. He respected the Sacaens too much to intrude on their way of life. That was why he did not push Lyn into joining him, only made her an offer.

When they arrived, Mushu asked Lyn one more time to choose whether she wants to remain or if she would rather go. He saw the conflict in her eyes and felt bad for putting a child on the spot like that, but he really must be going. He spent way to much time in this area of Sacae as it was. He still had the Djute tribe to visit. First he had to make a detour at Bulgar for fresh supplies. The Djute tribe was not famous for their hospitality. They were even known to strike at outsiders who come near their grounds. If he didn't visit them, no skin off his back. Supplies though, he desperately needed. Since the merchants left Muhir, he would have to pay store price for goods he could buy for half at a market.

Mushu gestured for Lyn to rest in her ger for a while and said to her, "I will stay for one more day. If you want to come with me, then tell me your answer tomorrow. If you wish to remain, that is fine s well. I'll go hunt for now, so get some rest. Oh and don't rush. This may be a life changing choice for you. It isn't something you can casually answer."

Lyn gave him a nod, grateful for his understanding.

Mushu hitched his caravan near Lyn's tent and set off into the forested areas of Sacae with a steel bow in hand. Though he was no archer, he could at least hunt with a bow. As the day passed by, night had begun to fall. Mushu managed t catch a boar and two rabbits. While he himself abhorred eating rabbits, he thought Lyn might enjoy rabbit stew. In any case, he began walking back to Lyn's ger and his caravan.

When he reached the camp, he saw Lyn crouched on the ground tending a fire. She heard his steps and looked up. Mushu saw dried tear marks on her face, no doubt she was questioning herself and some tears fell. But the fact that she was out here, tending a fire meant that she had reached a decision. Mushu hoped, for her sake, that she would come with him. Otherwise, she might die prematurely without getting the chance to end her quest for revenge. At the very least, Mushu was tired of watching good people especially children who never got the chance to live as long as he did die unfulfilled.

"Welcome back," Lyn said with a smile. Lyn was a good kid just like Catherine.

"Um Mushu?" Lyn asked. He failed once he does not want to see someone like her die again.

"Hey!" Lyn shouted bopping Mushu upside the head snapping him out of his reverie.

"Hey girlie. You are not supposed to hit your elders. I know Hassar and Madeline taught you better than that," Mushu snapped rubbing the place Lyn hit.

"Hmm," Lyn hummed ignoring Mushu.

"Listen to your elders, girlie," Mushu barked.

"Hey Mushu?" Lyn said quietly.

"Huh?" Mushu said slightly taken back by her change of the subject.

"I decided. I want to travel with you," Lyn said.

Mushu gave a wide grin and said, "Great."

"But will you hear my request?" Lyn asked carefully.

"You already are but if it is within my power then I will see what I can do," Mushu replied seriously.

"Can you teach me how to fight?" Lyn asked.

"You already know how. I'm sure the bandits you killed will back me up on this," Mushu gave a chuckle at that.

"No. I'm not good enough. I wasn't able to do anything," Lyn cried.

"Now wait a-" Mushu began but Lyn wasn't finished.

"There were ten of them and I was unable to do more to help. I barely survived even with six others at my side. If you haven't shown up I would've died," Lyn said angrily.

Mushu had nothing to dispute there so Lyn continued, "I want to kill the Taliver and avenge my tribe but I realze I am weak. I can't do anything. I'm no better than how I was as a child," Lyn bawled.

Mushu let her cry for a good spell. He skinned the rabbits he was carrying and dragged out the innards. He pulled out the bones and dropped those into a pot that Lyn had filled with water. The bones would give the soup nutrients. He then went t his caravan and pulled out a cooking set. He laid the board on the ground and chopped the meat before dumping those into the soup as well. Then he went back to his wagon and got some vegetables. These too he chopped and tossed into the soup. Afterwards he used a ladle and took out the bones.

Mushu then proceeded to skin the boar. At this point, Lyn had stopped crying and was watching Mushu cook their supper. When he spitted the boar and set it over a second fire he just built, he spoke up, "I will help you get stronger. What you do with that strength is up to you. I only ask for you to look beyond the Taliver and think about what will you do later on."

The camp was silent once more. Mushu judged the soup was done and ladled some into a bowl he had. He held it out to Lyn who accepted it. As the boar was roasting on the spit, Lyn ate her soup in contemplative silence. Mushu judge these coming seasons would be very important for the girl. If he should fail to give her an alternative lifestyle, she may end up regretting everything.

* * *

Well. That's the end of that. Review this alright.


	3. Of Bargaining, Knights, and Sweet Bread

Yeah. New chapter. Two in one day. The other is for my other fire emblem story so don't look for another one here. It's only this. Late I know but school so oh well.

Disclaimer- Don't own

* * *

Chapter 3- Of Bargaining, Knights, and Sweet Bread

"Ah the sweet smell of Bulgar," Mushu exclaimed inhaling the Bulgar air.

Bulgar was the most prominent city in Sacae. Granted it didn't have much competition in Sacae, the city was still an impressive sight. Even in more populated areas like Bern or Ostia, there would still be only a handful of cities that can match its splendor. It was here that Mushu hoped to find fresh supplies for his journey with Lyn.

The previous night Lyn asked Mushu if he was going to participate in the market, which Mushu replied with a firm no. "My weapons are first rate. Why should I subject them to some ignorant fool who would never draw the blade? It would be an insult to the sword and the maker," Mushu answered curtly.

So Lyn let the subject drop seeing as Mushu was sensitive about that area. In Bulgar, they were greeted with a large crowd of people bustling and hustling. Mushu hitched his convoy by the city gates and paid some gold to the guard put in charge of watching valuables before heading into the crowd. Even from the distance, they were able to hear the roars and shouts of people in the city. Now though, up close, the noise was almost deafening.

Luckily for them, Mushu was able to remember to tell Lyn their plan in Bulgar. "Now listen, I am going to go haggle for some stuff in Bulgar. The noise is real high so we probably won't be able to hear each other very well. If we get separated go enjoy the town. Just make sure you return to the Square at say a little past noon. Here's some gold."

Lyn had made a move to refuse but Mushu said that a girl her age should carry some gold to spend and besides he earned a lot from his visit with the Kutolah. Lyn of course refused still but Mushu conveniently said he had to check his supplies and they can argue in the morning or something. In the morning, Lyn gave the gold back.

True to his word, the pair lost each other not moments from entering the city. It wasn't really because Mushu ditched her in favor of haggling. It had nothing to do with the Lorca tribe's blasted honesty that made haggling almost painful when one is with you. No. It was just a foreseen coincidence.

Lyn went to check out some shops when she felt an unfamiliar weight in her money pouch. It was heavier than normal. It weighed almost three times more than it normally did.

"Mushu you wonderful old codger," Lyn smiled. Mushu took the money back from her this morning but last night he filled her pouch knowing she would not stop until she returned the money. It would the same case here but he stuck a note in there telling her to buy some sweet bread and keep the rest. Sweetbread was fairy cheap so she had more than twice her own stash left over even after buying the bread. Pouch full of gold and a bagful of sweet brad Lyn headed off to enjoy the city.

Mushu on the other hand met a familiar face near the market square. It was Merlinus. Hair tied in a ponytail, and wearing a merchant's robe, there was nothing remarkable about him. Appearances were deceiving though. Merlinus was one of the best sources rare goods in Elibe. His accounting abilities were a step and beyond that of Mushu's. Sadly for Merlinus, his salesman ability and confidence was… lacking to say the least. Still, he was one of Mushu's favorite contacts and vice versa. They were both fair.

"Oy. Sitting there for hours must be tiring. Why don't you consider a career change?" Mushu walked up to Merlinus.

"Mushu you badger. Still alive and kicking eh?" Merlinus looked up with a grin.

"Aye. It'll take more than the likes of bandits and diseases to get the best of me," Mushu replied back with a grin.

Merlinus's grin faltered a little. "I'm not getting much luck selling my goods sadly. People are trying to take advantage of me. Can you believe a man had the gall to offer 270 gold for my Energy Drop? It is made from eighty-year-old shitake mushroom. Eighty-year-old shitake. It is worth at least 3000 gold," Merlinus whined.

"You didn't actually sell that did you?" Mushu gave a disbelieving look.

"Of course not. I may be a fool but even a fool knows better once in a while. I paid 1500 gold for the mushroom and spent backbreaking effort to grind and mix it into a fine powder before-" Merlinus began talking about his efforts in making the concoction.

"Um. Alright, how about I take it off your hands for say 3500?" Mushu cut him off.

"Hmm. 4000," Merlinus replied with utmost seriousness.

"You said 3000 and I offered 3500. Take it or leave it," Mushu said plainly.

"Sigh you are right of course but 4000 and I'll throw in this lovely Deer skin coat, perfect for hiking through the mountains," Merlinus pushed for more money.

"I'll give you 4250. You really need to learn to appraise your items better. The energy drop is worth at least 6000. The coat is worth say 1200 on auction," Mushu said as he paid for the items. The ok on Merlinus's face made him feel slightly bad but business was business and Merlinus needed a kick in the rear or some other guy will rip him off even worse. But he isn't heartless, so he left an extra thousand gold with Merlinus. The extra gold perked Merlinus up a little but he was still feeling hurt.

"Oy. Cheer up bloke. You'll get better at this. If you have any other rare goods, search me out. I'll pay you a fair price," Mushu said as he walked away from the saddened Merlinus who was now trying to sell an iron sword for 300 gold while the customer said 100. He will need help and luck, lots of it.

At around past noon, Mushu found most of the supplies they would need for the journey. He got great deals on the items and he even found a beautiful gemstone in the market for only 6000 gold. A gem of that value though would be worth nearly twice that. He won't sell it though. It would be made into a gift.

As he headed to the Square he saw something strange. There was a crowd. The Square is the center of Bulgar. Contrary to its name, it was less packed regularly than the other parts of the city. This was mainly due to the high price of selling goods in the area. The tariffs were so high that it would make selling your goods almost pointless. So a crowd gathered in the Square was never a good thing. Either a poor sucker or new merchant was selling their goods, or some kind of scene was present.

Mushu wormed his way through the crowd and he felt a sinking sensation. Lyn was in the middle of it. Mushu began contemplating leaving and getting the caravan then come back for Lyn or get into an embarrassing argument on Lyn's behalf and get his standing in Bulgar tarnished. Well, the standing doesn't matter much since he rarely sold his goods in Bulgar anyway. Still the first option seemed highly appealing… until Lyn caught sight of him. He was trapped.

Sighing to himself he walked over to Lyn and asked the green armored knight what was the matter.

To this the knight responded jovially, "Nothing's the matter kind sir. Might you be this lovely lady's father? I was in high hopes of acquiring her name or better yet her company tonight. May you grant me the honor of your daughter's time?" the knight said.

Mushu could hear snickers and chortles of laughter from the crow. The knight must be stupid. He just asked a girl's "parent" in front of a crowd for her time. He almost wanted to laugh at the knight but Lyn's angry glare made him realize that the knight was probably a chauvinist and Sacaens particularly their women had a firm belief that women do not need protecting.

Women's rights. What a combination when combined with Sacaen blood. All that combination needed was oil and a fire tome and Bulgar would be ash before suppertime. Grabbing Lyn's hand, he dragged her away from the knight who by now had lost his smile when he saw a red clad knight walk up to him.

When they finally made it out of the crowd, Mushu heard Lyn start ranting about men, chauvinists, how utterly useless they are, and how his sex should just roll over and die. The knight must have really pissed her off. When they reached his caravan, he checked to see if the deliveries of their supplies were made to the right caravan while Lyn was simmering. Seeing everything in order, Mushu gestured for Lyn to get on.

They moved the caravan to the main gates to find their way blocked by the green and red knights.

"Can you knights move your steeds some time today?" Mushu yelled.

"Oh. Of course. My apologies," the red knight apologized as he gestured for his companion to move. Lyn had poked her head out to see what was the problem and noticed the red knight's manners.

She smiled, "Maybe not all men are terrible."

"Most are but there are some good ones nowadays like your father," Mushu said philosophically.

Lyn seemed to accept that and grinned, "You're not terrible either."

"Heh. Thanks," Mushu said though there was a bitter look in his eyes.

Before Lyn can ask what was wrong, the green knight spoke up. Mushu had another sinking feeling.

"Look Kent, that was the girl I was talking about," the knight said.

"You look familiar. Have me met before or?" Kent asked as he took in Lyn's appearance.

Mushu noticed the flash of sincerity in Kent's voice as well as the flash of recognition on his face. Lyn however, just felt like that was another pickup line and she heard way too many from the green knight already.

"Let's go Mushu before you are polluted by the two perverts here," Lyn huffed.

Mushu knowing a woman's mindset knew better than to argue and set his horses forward. The knights had moved for a while now so their way was unblocked.

"W-Wait," Kent began but Mushu and Lyn didn't hear him over the horses.

"Those knights looked familiar. Judging from their armor they are most likely Lycians. But… what connection would Lyn have with Lycia?" Mushu asked himself.

"Sweet Bread?" Lyn asked as she chows down on one of the four she bought. At this point she was out of her bad mood.

"No thank you. I hate that stuff," Mushu said with a grimace.

"Then why did you have me buy it?" Lyn asked confused.

"Girls your age liked them if I remember correctly," Mushu smiled.

"You know a lot of things about girls don't you?" Lyn stated.

"I had a little girl and a boy. They were my pride and joy but they left home a while back," Mushu explained.

"How about your wife?" Lyn asked though in her heart she felt she knew the answer.

When she heard the catch in his throat it confirmed her suspicions. "She died of consumption five years ago. She was fighting it for years but five years ago she just walked by me, gave a kiss on the cheek, said "I love you and I'm sorry for going first, and died in my arms."

"I'm sorry," Lyn said empathetically.

"Don't be. I had thirty wonderful years with her. She died in my arms, that is more than most can ask for. I was- no am so lucky to have met her," Mushu said wistfully.

They didn't speak anymore for the rest of the journey but sat in companionable silence. After hearing the story, Lyn felt relief and happy that there was at least one person in this world she can trust. When they made camp that night and had their evening meal, Lyn fell asleep with a content smile on her face.

Mushu smiled at the girl in front of him before getting out of the caravan and looking up at the Sacaen skies. The stars were out and shining brightly. It bolded well for the future but served as a haunting memory of the past.

* * *

Well another chapter done. I'm beat. Read and review guys.


	4. Sword in the Stone

Alright a new chapter. Before I forget this time a thanx to **Gunlord500** and **Dathedr **for their reviews for this story. By the way, for anyone who is thinking I'm gonna pair Mushu with Lyn. I'm not. Just for the record. Nothing against that but well, not my preference. There is some AU (think I'm using the word right) in this series so...

Disclaimer- Not mine

* * *

Chapter 4- Sword in the Stone

The following days were spent like normal but Mushu could not let go of a feeling of dread. It was as if someone was watching them. They were in the open fields so an ambush would be rendered near ineffective. They could outrun most enemies save cavalry. Still doesn't hurt to be too careful.

Their destination was set for the temple of the Mani Katti, one of the treasures of Sacae, a must see for travelers in the land. It was said that spirits blessed the blade. That in turn birthed new stories and legends of the blade. Mushu never cared for the stories. What good is a sword that is now a piece of decoration? The maker must be weeping right now.

Lyn of course was one of the superstitious youths who believes praying to a sword can bring luck. Her father was the opposite and shared the same sentiments with Mushu, as do other warriors. Mushu supposed that youth is precious so he can at least indulge her more… childish impulses.

And so here they were in front of a run down "temple". Lyn called it a sacred shrine/ temple. Mushu would call it a death trap threatening to fall and crush everything inside. He supposed he got more cynical with age but you would think a "sacred sword" would get some better place to rest than a… Mushu couldn't think of a suitable word for this place besides deathtrap.

"Come on Mushu. We have to pray to the sword before it gets too dark and the bishop in charge deems the hours are too late to disturb the spirits," Lyn whined. Mushu had tied his wagon a little further from the "temple", close enough to reach if they need to beat a hasty retreat or if there was someone trying to steal his goods.

Mushu just nodded his head like there was nothing wrong with anything she just said. Inside he was screaming. As they headed near the entrance of the "temple", someone just suddenly jumped them. The two had fast enough reflexes to dodge the attack but in the process Mushu got a slight cut to his left leg.

"Dammit. What the hell?" Mushu cursed as he checked his leg. Seeing that the cut wasn't bad, he quickly applied some vulnerary and took in the scene before him. There were three assailants right now but he can see five more coming for them. Lyn was just barely holding off the three here and though his cut wasn't bad, an extended battle may wear him out. Still if he doesn't help Lyn soon she will die, good fighter or not.

Thus he went to stand by Lyn's side and the two managed to fell the three bandits before the reinforcements could close in on them. Now instead of eight on two, it was five on two, better but still bad. Unfortunately the tide was shifting from them. Their initial counterattack caught the three they killed by surprise. These five watched their friends die and were consumed in rage. With surprise gone, it was a battle of skill, numbers, and experience. Skill Mushu and Lyn have. Lyn was lacking in experience and they lacked numbers. The odds were stacked against them.

"This may be it," Mushu said solemnly.

"Mushu, try to run back to your caravan. I'll distract them. One of the bandits said my name. I think they're after me," Lyn said sadly and reservedly.

Over her shoulder, Mushu could see another bandit lying dead by Lyn. So it was now four to two. Better but his leg is starting to act up and the wound he just got from one of the bandits were starting to hurt. To make matters worse, it was his shoulder.

"When did I get so old?" Mushu grimaced as he noticed another three bandits appear from behind them. When hope seemed lost though, he heard it. Lyn and the bandits heard it too for they stopped fighting for the moment to seek where the sound was coming from.

The sound was getting closer. It was a familiar sound to Lyn and Mushu but to the bandits the sounds were new. It was the sound of horses. A plainswoman would of course recognize the sound. A caravan driver would memorize that sound. Bandits spend their time in the mountains where horses are unable to thrive. Many have never even seen a horse in their lives.

"Hold. Such numbers against a lady and an elder! Hold your axes. We shall be your foes," the knight said. Mushu recognized him at once. Lyn also seemed to remember since her eyes narrowed when the familiar green and red hair came into view. The red knight, now done speaking charged into the fray with his companion. Mushu noticed the green knight's right arm in a sling but thought he can ask later, preferably when they make it through this alive.

The knights' movements were poetry in motion. Their swords hummed a deadly tune as they struck into the hearts of two of the bandits. Still taken off guard by the appearance of the knights, the knights spun their sword in the air, their wake leaving a trail of dead. In a matter of seconds, all the bandits were dead.

When Lyn went to question the knights, the red haired apologized," I am sorry my lady. We will answer your questions once we head to a safer location. If you will follow me."

Lyn shook her head, "Thank you for the help but there are still bandits in the temple. The poor priest may still be alive. I cannot allow them to desecrate the sacredness of the temple."

The knights looked pained but the green haired knight spoke up, "If that is your wish, my lady, we shall aid you in your endeavor. But you must take heed, your companion is injured, he may be in danger if he goes with us."

"He raises a good point Mushu. Perhaps you should head ba-" Lyn began.

"Now hold it right there. I may be old. I may be injured. I may die in the next few minutes but there is no way I will leave a young girl with two hormonal whippersnappers. If I'm not there, there's no telling what these boys may try when you are alone," Mushu said firmly.

"Now see here. I assure you my companion and I will never try something like that. We are-" the red knight argued.

"I don't care," Mushu said flatly. His tone said he will brook no argument and took Lyn by the hair and dragged her towards the temple with Lyn crying out that he was hurting her. Mushu just kept going though.

"As you wish," the knights sighed in unison.

Thus the four headed inside the temple. The knights were on foot and left their lances behind. Mushu noticed that they were trained well enough in the weapons triangle but that leaves a point he was worried about. What would happen if they run into an armored knight? He supposed he could use the knights as bait while he dragged Lyn and himself out but his pride and more specifically Lyn would never allow him. Besides, the knights did save them so…

Lost in thought, Mushu didn't notice that they reached some kind of altar. In the center of the altar were a sword and some kind of mercenary. The mercenary was struggling to pull out the sword but was failing admirably. The sword was likely the Mani Katti and apparently the spirits/ sword didn't like the mercenary. He noticed that the sword was emitting a faint glow as Lyn got closer but he ignored that for now in favor of scanning the room. Odds were against them again. There were fifteen bandits there and four of them. Great.

Upon seeing the four, the mercenary glared at the man beside him, "Hmmph. Migal. You said your men could handle an old man and a little girl."

"Yes I did but we didn't know about the two knights. Have no fear though. For the money you're paying us, we'll get the job done," Migal licked his lips.

"See that you do. But! If your men start falling, I'll join the fight and kill you first," the mercenary said coolly.

Migal took a step back and said, "No need for that Glass my friend. My men are the cream of the crop. All seasoned. I can probly take 'em down meself."

Glass gave him a cool stare before moving to try pulling the sword out again.

"Zugo! Bug! Get ur asses down there and show them the might of the Ganelon bandits," Migal shouted.

Upon his command two of the bandits separated themselves from the group. Even from a distance away, Mushu could see that these men were veterans. They were muscular, proud, and ugly. Your typical bandits save for the way they carry themselves. They were cautious like the people on their side might stab them in the back at any moment.

At a second command from Migal, the other bandits fanned out to support Zugo and Bug respectively. Bug looked stronger and sturdier but Zugo had longer legs.

"Probably a sprinter," Mushu thought instantly. The bandits moved slowly but deliberately. They had a variety of moves available to them. Mushu and the others can run away, wait for their attack, or charge them. The bandits had archers so options one and three was out. That left two. Considering they were outnumbered three to one that option was not appealing either, but it was all they got. Mushu hoped that the knights were skilled enough to handle the majority of the bandits without their horses.

His doubts were unfound though. When the bandits charged and their archers, two of them, fired the knights met the attacks beautifully. They used their swords lightweight to get between the bandits killing them efficiently. Lyn was doing well as well. The archers were aiming for the knights who blocked with the small round iron shields they had attached to their wrists, right for the green knight and left for the red knight.

Seeing that he was useless here, Mushu headed to take care of the archers. Seeing him coming, they tried to shoot him down. Mushu just groaned and started focusing his energy on his good leg.

"This will hurt like hell," Mushu thought ruefully. He let loose the energy he was storing inside the leg and that allowed him to move right next to one of the archers in an instant. This technique was a basic art taught in Bern to warriors for some time. It was later discontinued because of the time it takes to learn the technique well enough for it to be useful. Even then, it was only good for two things- running away and assassination.

The archer surprised at his speed did not utter a sound as Mushu cut him down The other archer seemed frightened at this unforeseen circumstance. He was under the impression that the old man was useless at best and dead weight at worst. He was not expecting this. As he turned to run, he saw a girl not more than eighteen years of age right behind him. He turned around to se all his companions dead on the ground. His boss Migal was nowhere to be seen. Their employer Glass was dueling a red knight. Bug was dueling a green knight and the green knight was winning. Zugo was dead.

A second later, the archer dies by Lyn's hands. A minute later, the green knight killed Bug. That left Glass and the red knight's duel. They were both very skilled warriors. Glass was fighting two handed with a huge steel sword. The knight had a smaller sword but a shield and armor. The knight had better defenses but Glass had more skill. Just then, Glass pulled a dirty-handed trick. He allowed the red knight to pressure him near the sword in the stone. When they got close enough, he grabbed some dirt and dust near the sword and threw it in the knight's face effectively blinding him. This allowed Glass to make a slash at the knight. The knight was not severely wounded but the cut was deep enough that if he tried to move too much, he may deepen the wound.

"Foul," the green haired knight roared as he rushed towards his fallen companion. He was too far away. Glass raised his sword for the final blow. Lyn cried a resounding NO. When the blade was over Glass's head, it went even further back. The blade was well past its arc when suddenly, the sword fell from Glass's hands and he uttered, "How?"

He turned his head and came face to face with Mushu. In Mushu's hands was a small black knife. The knife was completely black, forged from a stone of jet, save for the drops of red blood on it, Glass's blood.

"Damn… you," Glass uttered before he died. His last move was to go towards the sword in the stone and try his luck once more. Once again, the sword rejected him. He died unfulfilled.

"You interfered between a match between warriors sir Mushu," the red knight frowned.

"He cheated and he was about to kill you," Mushu said bluntly. Finding no real argument and no reason to defend Glass, the red knight gave a shrug. He regretted it instantly as his wound was still fresh and the vulnerary he applied was not taking effect. Mushu said the wound may be infected and that they should find a healer soon. The red knight insisted that the lady be allowed to finish her work here before worrying about him. His companion gave him a worried look but conceded to his companion's wishes. Lyn objected but they ignored her.

Mushu regarded the two knights with even more curiosity. They were acting like Lyn was their lord or something. He then remembered something. Madeline. That would mean they are from Caelin. Interesting.

A little later, the bishop in charge of the sword in the stone came out. He thanked the group profusely and said he would allow them to try pulling the sword from its resting place as thanks. Mushu gave out a stifled chuckle.

"All that for a chance to get some dust on my hands. Oh joy," Mushu thought bitterly as he remembered the dust that Glass threw in the red knight's face, "Don't they ever clean the area?"

"Where was he?" the green knight muttered.

"he said he was locked in a back room and that he was unable to do anything against the group," the red knight stated now healed from his wounds by the bishop.

"He could've fought. Bishops of Elimine are said to be able to do great divine magic," the green knight scratched his chin.

"He is worshipping a sword for Elimine's sake. It isn't a wonder that his magic is terrible," the red knight stated.

"No boys. He is just getting old. His hands are worn out and his face is contorted. He is just too old now. He is questioning his mortality and his faith is waning. He must have been a soldier in his earlier years. Now he is saddened about all the lives he took," Mushu came over to the two.

"How could you tell?" the green knight said amazed. The red knight was also giving Mushu a look of wonder.

"He showed no disgust or fear in the face of armed warriors like us. That proved experience in battle. Then there are his eyes. When you get to my age you can tell a man's life just by looking into their eyes. He is tired and weary. I bet he can't even cast a simple Light spell. Healing must take a lot for him now," Mushu rambled on sadly.

The two knights shut up after that and instead turned their attention to Lyn. She was for whatever reason primping her appearance.

When asked, she only responded saying, "It isn't every day a Sacaen let alone a female be allowed to touch the sacred Mani Katti!"

She had such excitement and wonder in her eyes and voice that none of the group can say anything remotely discouraging. Instead they let her be. When she decided that she was kempt enough, she moved forward to try to pull the blade out of the stone. Mushu noticed that the sword was emitting a light glow around it and the glow intensified the closer Lyn got to the sword. The others seem to notice as well. Lyn undeterred by whatever the light may be placed one hand on the sword and effortlessly pulled the sword out of the stone.

"It- it came out effortlessly," Lyn stuttered.

"I never dreamed that the blade may ever find another owner. To meet its new owner in this lifetime makes me so happy. Take it child and do some good in this world of ours," the bishop said sagely though there was a look of longing and sadness on his face.

"I- I will your Excellency," Lyn bowed. Following her cue, the knights bowed as well. Mushu opted not to. The knights and Lyn gave him a disapproving look/ glare but Mushu just shrugged. The bishop told the group to wait a moment as he went into a back room. He produced a beautiful ornate sheath with Sacaen words inscribed. The words said "One Sword, One Wielder, New Paths Opening". It was a popular saying in Sacae meaning the sword chooses a wielder and opens up new opportunities for many.

Lyn took the sheath and sheathed the Mani Katti, thanked the bishop again, and left with the knights following. Mushu hanged back for a second.

"Are you okay with that? I know how much that sword meant to you," Mushu said quietly.

"Yes. My time is gone though. A new era has begun. How about you friend?" the bishop said.

"My journey has not ended yet. I still have things to do," Mushu said.

"Our time has passed though. Perhaps retirement may be well. I for one am going to stay here and dedicate the rest of my days as a healer not a bounty hunter," the bishop gave a chuckle at this.

"Take care Mikhail," Mushu patted his friend on the back.

"You as well," Mikhail exclaimed as he headed back to the room where he got the sheath.

Words spoken, Mushu headed out the ruins to where his caravan was packed and where Lyn was chatting with the knights.

With a renewed feeling of dread, Mushu asked the knights a simple question as he got near, "Why have you come to Sacae, Caelin knights?"

* * *

So how was it? Read and review. Just takes a second. Seriously.


	5. Crossroads

Alright another chapter done. And on the day before school too. At ten Pm. I'm such a good student aren't I. They should give awards to people like me. Joking of course. I'm not actually being a jerk about my stories though am I? If I am I apologize but if I'm not well, forget I said anything.

Seriously reviews are appreciated so feel free to let me know what you don't like or don't understand. I think this is my longest author's note yet.

Dathedr- Thanx for the reviews and yeah I know but I don't think he seemed all that leader-like. So I decided to put him in there.

* * *

Chapter 5- Crossroads

"I suppose we owe an explanation don't we?" the green knight sighed.

"Our apologies for our lack of manners my lady," the red knight added.

"Why do you keep calling me "my lady?" Lyn stared at the red knight.

"We are," the red knight began, "as Lord Mushu has gathered, knights of Caelin. My name is Kent and my companion Sain. We are on a mission sent by the Marquess Hausen himself. He desires to see the Lady Madeline and her child Lyndis."

Lyn gave a startled gasp at the names Kent spoke of before Kent continued, "Many seasons ago, the Marquess and his daughter lived in peace and happiness. However, the lady soon found herself entranced with a Sacaen nomad when she made a journey to Sacae. She desired to marry him. This was not approved by the strict traditions and values we held in Lycia. Needless to say, there was opposition everywhere including the Marquess himself. His wife had died leaving only him and his daughter. Now this daughter has told him she was willing to leave him, her own father, to run off with a Sacaen nomad who did not belong in her social class."

Lyn made a start to interrupt and defend her mother but Mushu made a gesture for her to stop and allow the knight to finish, "The lady ran off much to the Marquess's disappointment and anger. It wounded him such that he renounced that he had a daughter. Years later, though he made such an unforgivable sin as to renounce his own kin, the lady still found in her kind and giving nature to grant him a letter. The letter contained many memories of her days and the happiness she has found, especially in her newborn child Lyndis.

"Upon reading the letter, the Marquess burst into tears and immediately dispatched us to find and locate the lady and her family and invite them to journey to Caelin and dine with the Marquess. He wishes to hear her stories from her mouth as well as see his new grandchild. Most of all, he wanted to apologize for everything that had transpired because of his acts made in blind judgment."

"But it seemed we were too late," Sain finally spoke, "the Lorca tribe was wiped out and the lady and her husband were said to be killed. Their daughter was supposedly living by herself in the plains near Muhir. When we searched Muhir, we found many giant tents but no inhabitants. There was one that seemed lived in but we waited the entire night to see if the person would come back but there was no one. We assumed the lady was dead or captured. Thus we rode to Bulgar and sent a messenger pigeon to Caelin informing our lord of the tribe's demise and our solemn oath to remain here and search in the hopes of finding the lady Madeline's child."

"Not to damper your spirits but how do you know this is the right girl?" Mushu asked.

"She bears a striking resemblance to her mother and she carries the fiery temper of the Sacaen nomads. It has to be her," Kent said firmly.

Mushu thoughtfully asked, "When did you find the tents?"

"We found them just a few nights ago, perhaps in the late evening," Kent replied.

"That would be about the time we headed to Muhir," Mushu scratched his chin.

"Then we just missed them!" Lyn said.

"It's amazing. If we stayed a little longer we would have met them and we wouldn't be in Muhir fighting what's-his-name's group of bandits," Mushu sighed ruefully.

"Wait what bandits?" Kent asked uneasily.

"Hm. Yes. If we had run into them earlier, we might not have had the encounter with Glass either. Perhaps it was fortunate we didn't run into them earlier. If we did, two places would have been sacked by bandits and its inhabitants killed," Mushu ignored the knight.

"Yes. It does the heart good to do good deeds," Lyn gives a happy grin.

"Um milady, what is the incident at Muhir about?" Kent asked again.

"There was a group of bandits at Muhir. I rushed into the fray headfirst and Mushu followed me in to save me. Then we began our journey," Lyn explained to the knights, "By the way, Mushu? Where were we headed?"

"I was thinking to Bern seeing as I got a deerskin coat at a great bargain," Mushu said.

"Ah I remember. You tricked the merchant into selling you an energy drop and the coat, a most despicable act I must add," Kent added.

"If I remember correctly, you were trying to rip old Merlinus off yourself. Trying to preach when you tried to buy a perfectly good iron sword for only a hundred gold pieces," Mushu shook his head.

Sain gave a shocked look, "Kent! I am shocked that you would do such a despicable act."

"Shut up Sain. We are on a budget here so I did hat I had to do. Besides, the sword saved your life. You forgot to purchase a sword earlier and if you had fought the bandits with a lance you would have been killed," Kent snapped to which Sain gave a good-natured shrug.

"Well anyways, what now?" Mushu broke the mood.

"Pardon?" Kent said.

"What happens now?" Mushu asked.

"Well, we are under orders to bring the Lady Madeline's family to the Marquess," Sain answered.

"Yes yes, my poor old memory has not failed me yet. I remember your, rather long winded I might add, story. I am just curious what we will do now. We are at a sort of a crossroads here," Mushu sighed.

"A crossroads?" Lyn asked confused.

"What will you do Lyn? They are sent to take you to meet your grandfather. Will you go though? I mean, he is your last family member that you know of that is still alive. On the other hand, he renounced your mother and father, effectively you as well. I can understand if you- don't give me that look you two, you know I'm right- hate him," Mushu said directly at Lyn.

The two knights looked at each other and a mutual understanding passed between them, "Sir Mushu is right. The two of us would like little more than to reunite you with your grandfather, but we will cede to your wishes. If you should desire to see the land or whatever than the two of us will accompany you. We only ask that you take into consideration about meeting your grandfather. He is old and seeing his grandchild will be a happy wish. However, we will abide by your wishes. It is only right and just," Sain said.

"Our duty is to your happiness. If we should do something against your wishes we would be going against our vows," Kent put in.

"You heard the knights Lyn. They will abide by your wishes as will I. You must make the decision on your own. Cast aside the past and the present and make the choice that will b best for your future. I hate having to put so much pressure on you but, like I said, you are at a crossroads here. The decision you make now will impact your future," Mushu said rather solemnly.

"I-I, I DON'T KNOW!" Lyn cried so loud that Mushu could have almost sworn that the whole of Sacae heard her.

"I can't forgive him for casting out my parents. How could anyone just abandon their own family just because they did something the other doesn't like? But, he is all I have left. He is my own grandfather. If I don't see him, then I will be doing the same thing he did, wouldn't I?" Lyn paused in her reverie.

Hearing no answer from her companions she continued, "I want to see him but at the same time I don't. I know next to nothing about him and all I know is that he is the type of bastard that would cast out his own family for the sake of his title. I have no real reason to seek him out."

The knights looked downcast at this but Mushu noted to his amazement, they were standing by and keeping their silent promise to allow Lyn to make her own choice. For that Mushu would give them the benefit of the doubt that they would be true to Lyn and not betray her. The last thing he wanted was to see Lyn sad and alone again. If they were there for her, and she met her grandfather then he would feel well about leaving her behind and continuing his own journey.

"But I will met him so I can hear his side. My parents, and Mushu as well, have taught me better than that. There are always many sides to a story. If I get stuck on only the negative I will never grow as a person or a warrior. If I don't like him, then I will yell at him, insult him, maybe even hit him. But if I can find the strength and will to forgive him, then… I don't know but I will try to at least understand him. He… is my grandfather after all," Lyn said with a sad smile.

The knights tore away from their downcast looks a moment ago and looked hopeful at the prospect of reuniting their lord with his granddaughter. Mushu looked silently pleased that Lyn was able to make a decision on her own.

"For what it is worth, child. I think you are making the right choice," Mushu said to Lyn.

"Ah yes. Mushu?" Lyn asked uncertainly.

"Oh don't worry girlie. I'm going to stick around for a bit. Just to make sure things are okay," Mushu read Lyn's mind.

"Thank you Mushu. Thank you. And you as well sir knights," Lyn gave a bright smile that seemed to make the knights blush and Mushu laugh.

* * *

That's it. Nothing more to say. Review.


	6. Brothers in Arms I

Well it's been a while but. I have a lot of work this past week or so. Here's a new chapter and I should have a new one up by next week or so.

Disclaimer-not mine

Quote- "A friend can tell you things you don't want to tell yourself." - Frances Ward Weller

* * *

Chapter 6- Brothers in Arms I

"Sir Mushu. I've been meaning to ask. Are you the same Sir Mushu who came to Caelin once long ago and fought the legendary Lord Wallace to a draw?" Kent inquired one night on their way to Caelin.

Lyn's ears perked up at this. She had heard of Wallace from her mother. Apparently, Wallace was the greatest general ever-knighted in Caelin. Her father Hassar fought and lost against Wallace. To know that Mushu, of all people, fought against him was a shock. Mushu was always mild mannered and inquisitive, much like a child.

"Why would someone like Wallace have a grudge against him?" Lyn thought out loud.

"It wasn't a grudge match, just a friendly spar," Mushu said. His tone indicated that story time was over but Sain had one more thing to add.

"There was a rumor going around Caelin at the time. Even now, it is circulating around. They say in the duel, Lord Wallace lost a most humiliating defeat and that the reason you didn't kill him was to insult his pride," Sain glared at Mushu.

"Rumors are neither right nor wrong. Here must be an inkling of truth somewhere in all the lies. Believe what you will but make sure you don't jump to conclusions or you may make a bad decision. Elimine knows I did that far more than I like," Mushu said in response.

There was a small silence before Sain said, "Well that's great and all. I feel bad for you. But what happened in the fight? Did Lord Wallace or you win?"

"I don't recall. It was a long time ago," Mushu said trying to end the conversation. The topic was heading into dangerous territory.

"There were rumors too about what happened after the fight, about how you left Caelin and headed to Bern. Then you headed to Sacae. There were so many rumors and stories about the-" Sain was cut off by Kent placing his hand over his mouth.

"I apologize for my companion's lack of tact. He is naturally blunt so he does not usually recognize when a subject has reached dangerous territory," Kent replied.

"I don't mind," Mushu said but that was clearly a lie. The others supposed this was on of those adults protecting children bits, not that any of them consider themselves children anymore though Lyn thought Sain's mentality might be likened to a child's.

"Well, how much farther until the next town," Lyn asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Not much farther. Belkan is near here," Mushu mused grateful for the change in subject.

"Belkan?" Lyn asked.

"It's a small town of the side of the…" Mushu trailed off.

"Of the what Mushu?" Lyn eyed him suspiciously.

"The… Taliver Mountains," Mushu quietly replied bracing for her angry remarks to begin.

Oddly enough, Lyn was silent. When she next spoke, her voice was level, "When were you all going to tell me?"

"We weren't planning to, at least until you met your grandfather so he can enlist some troops to help you," Mushu said.

"You don't trust me?" Lyn said angrily though her voice was still level.

"Honestly no I don't. I'm an old man, jaded, bitter, and weary. You are a rash, impatient, and hardheaded girl. It's… too soon to trust," Mushu snapped.

Regretting his words but not giving in, Mushu just watched Lyn simmer. The knights were riding besides the caravan at a respectable and safe distance that will still allow them to hear any conversation between Lyn and Mushu. Kent seemed angry that Mushu could act so brash and cold towards their lady. He was about to chastise Mushu when Sain rode suddenly in front of him.

"Don't Kent," Sain said quietly.

"You heard what he said to our lady. He is a commoner, not of noble birth; to even be allowed to speak to her is a high privilege. Now he insults her. I can't just stand by," Kent retorted angrily.

"It's not your place," Sain said.

"I am a knight of Caelin. Protecting my lord and his kin is my duty," Kent replied coldly.

Sain shrugged, "This is a personal matter. These kinds of affairs are none of our business. Especially with the rumors about Lundgren, it's too soon for us to choose sides," Sain whispered the last part.

Kent looked aghast at this, "How can you even think about betraying our oath to the Marquess?"

Sain noted that despite his companion's anger, he was whispering. Sain said, "Our oath is the Marquess Caelin, whomever that may be. In power struggles, we are not meant to take sides. Doing so, would mean to make a blood oath to the lord we will serve. I am not, and neither are you, ready to make such a commitment."

"We were chosen for this mission. It is a sign of the Marquess's trust. The least we can do is honor that trust," Kent snapped.

Sain picked his ear and said quietly, "That is why we need to watch this carefully. By keeping the lady safe, we are honoring the trust the Marquess Hausen is placing in us. At the same time, we are watching out for our necks and honoring the pledge we made to keep out of personal affairs. Kent, remember your place."

Then Sain rode back to his original position left of the caravan leaving Kent to his thoughts. Sain was right. Underneath the idiocy and Casanova demeanor, he was a genius. His scores on exams were the tops of the class, beyond even Kent's. He was a natural fighting genius though he came of peasant stock. Kent was from a long line of knights so the sense of duty was stronger in him but because of that loyalty and sense of duty, he was too hung up on tradition, blinding his sense of self-preservation. Still, he cared about the peasantry so Sain never hated him.

Sain was a simple man on the other hand. He expected nothing but refused to bow before anyone. He showed love for women but he is noncommittal. He believed in coerce them, love them, and leave them before they chased him down. He may be hated for it, but that was the life he chose and he regretted nothing of it. Sain never hated the nobility or upper crust. He accepted that he was born with less and moved on.

Sain and Kent were two sides of the same coin. They were complete opposites but at the same time the same. Their goals for love were the same. They both want someone they can love and trust fully though their methods may differ. They both wanted a lord they can be proud of serving. Most of all, they wanted a reason for them becoming knights. Their ideals of knighthood have not faded and it was for those ideals they have entered the service in the hopes of helping to create a better society for the commoners of their realm. It was for these same ideals that each took the other's words to heart.

The trip was silent the rest of the way to Belkan. Kent was in contemplative silence. Lyn was simmering in the farthest corner of Mushu's caravan. Mushu was taking a nap and allowing his horses to stray a little from the intended route. Sain was gong with the flow, just following the horses wherever they decide to go.

It was actually a fairly peaceful trip, good for naps and relaxation. They were days that nobles and peasants alike could enjoy the bliss of their surroundings. At least it was until they heard a scream.


	7. Damsel in Distress?

Yeah. I know. This shouldn't hav taken so long. What can I say? I was busy with a lot of stuff. You try balancing three ish stories, an ap class, others honors, block, and a decent sleep and social life. Its hard man. But I'll try to do better. I have the ideas, just not the time.

On the bright side, Bulls are doing well (basketball). Don't hate. I'm a lakers and suns fan too. Bulls are my hometown though so I root for them. Don't flame because of my preferences. Flame if my story sucks alright.

Disclaimer-nope

* * *

Chapter 7- Damsel in Distress?

"What was that?" Sain asked.

Mushu gave him an incredulous look, "I believe it's a scream. What do you think kid?"

Sain groaned inwardly, "Don't comment Sain. Don't comment. It's for the lord and lady."

Kent seemed to snap out of the reverie he was in and moved his horse closer to the wagon. Lyn at this point had moved closer to the opening of the wagon to hear what will happen next. She was still upset over Mushu's faith, or lack of it in her. True, she would have been more upset that he hid the detail from her earlier on but the journey so far has lessened her anger and helped her come to terms with her hatred. She would one day attack and wipe out the Taliver but she would make sure she would not do anything to lose the trust of the people who have been there for her so far. While it only included Mushu, Kent, and Sain so far, she had a feeling she would meet a lot more people in the coming years.

"What shall we do?" Kent asked.

"Take another-"Mushu began.

"**We **will go check this out. If someone is in trouble, we should go help them," Lyn interrupted.

"If I am not mistaken, the scream was female. Rescuing damsels in distress is a knight's duty," Sain chuckled thinking about possible rewards he may get.

"While my companion's motives may not be the most pure, he is correct. It would not be courteous to leave someone who may be in dire need of help," Kent put in.

Outnumbered 3-1, Mushu sighed and nodded his head. He spurred his horses toward the direction of the scream. Kent and Sain did likewise.

In a matter of minutes, the group had arrived at the scene of the scream and found, true to Sain's words, a damsel in distress. The damsel was brandishing a small and thin lance while a white Pegasus was rearing its front hooves menacingly upwards. There were three men dressed in rags and brandished big menacing axes in their hands, marking them as bandits.

It was almost comical how the men were trying to move forward but the Pegasus kept them at bay. Three grown and possibly violent men afraid of a fairly skinny horse looked pretty funny to Mushu. Unfortunately, without regarding the situation, Lyn jumped off the wagon and rushed forward towards the bandits. The knights spurred their horses forward to protect their liege but Mushu stopped them.

"I'll go. I want you two to guard the wagon and rush in if there is trouble," Mushu said and the knights reluctantly obeyed.

Mushu got off his wagon and ran to Lyn's side. Lyn was standing by the purple-haired girl with the Pegasus. She was shouting at the bandits while consoling the girl who seemed to be crying.

"What's going on here?" Mushu asked the bandits in a light tone.

The bandits took one look at Mushu and scoffed.

"It's none you biznes old fool. Scurry away before yous get yersef hurt," one of them sneered while the other two laughed as if there was something funny.

"Humor me. What business do you three gentlemen have with these two ladies?" Mushu said in the same tone.

The bandits actually looked flattered and the same bandit that first spoke said in a more jovial tone, "Well we had no business wit that green chick. But she done and got all up in our business wit the other gurl. She done and landed 'er flying burd on me buddy there. So we fig she pay us. But she aint got no gald so we thought she mih entain me boys an me. We just want wat coming to us, yah no?"

"Oh yes. I understand perfectly. Unfortunately for you, if any one of you tries anything with the green haired, you may find yourself limping, permanently," Mushu shook his head in contempt.

"Ay. Wat u trying ta pull?" the bandit snarled. His comrades and him picked up the axes they had allowed to fall whilst talking with Mushu.

At that moment, Lyn unsheathed her sword and closed the distance between her and the bandits. She drew her sword up to one of the bandit's neck and snarled, "Leave now or I will see to it personally that you will be missing a head.

It was worth noting that she was not looking at their faces when she spoke this. The bandits made a hasty retreat after that, screaming profanities at the three. The girl, who Lyn introduced as Florina, a "shy and timid but very dear to her heart childhood friend" as Lyn put it. Florina was indeed shy. When Mushu held out his hand in greeting, she "meeped" and hid right behind Lyn. Her Pegasus immediately turned to Mushu and reared its front legs up in a threatening pose. Mushu, in his mysteriously wide and mostly useless knowledge, shouted at the Pegasus to stand down. Needless to say, it failed and just served to infuriate the Pegasus whose name was apparently Huey as Mushu later learned when they all headed back to the caravan.

When at camp, Sain spared no effort to flirt with Florina to which the delicate and beautiful damsel as he put it, delicately collided her foot with his family jewels in self-defense. Mushu and Lyn couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the night. Florina stuck by Lyn for the rest of that night with her Pegasus right by her side. Kent felt sorry for his long-time companion but was unable to wipe the grin off his face. Sain forewent dinner that day. He spent the rest of the night in the tent his "friend" Kent set up for him trying to ease the pain in his groin. Tomorrow, Mushu could tell, would be another exciting day if Sain could walk again. Guess the bandits wouldn't have been the only ones limping if Lyn had made good on her threat.

* * *

There it is. I should be able to post another one by next week.


	8. A Day of Rest

Yo I'm back. Slow eh for this story's updates. I started a new fic called "Fairy Tales" so I was putting a lot of attention on that one. I think I'm gonna go on hiatus for this fic for a little while so don't expect updates until say after Christmas. Well anyways. This chapter is pretty long so enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 8- A Day of Rest

"Shall we take a break?" Mushu said on their journey through the Taliver Mountains.

On Mushu's suggestion, the party avoided entering the nearest village for a rest. After all, the bandits Lyn ran off the other day must have friends in the area. The last thing they want to do is fight another group of bandits especially when they could just as easily avoid them. They were halfway through the mountains when Mushu stopped them.

"A break? We are pressed for time Sir Mushu," Kent stated.

"It would be more prudent to continue on before Lord Lundgren can gain many supporters," Sain said.

"Big words. I don't like big words. Takes too much time trying to find out what you say then I ignore it anyways," Mushu replied before stopping his caravan near a cave.

"Now shoo," Mushu shoved Lyn out of his wagon, "I need a nap. Go off and explore or play or something. Want some ale?"

"No!" everyone shouted in unison, except for Florina who just whimpered.

"Well, your loss. Now go away," Mushu shouted from the back of the tent.

Now the party without Mushu wondered what to do. They couldn't go into the wagon with Mushu there. They couldn't enter the cave. The wagon was blocking it.

"What can we do?" Lyn asked irritated. She was taking a nap herself when Mushu shoved her out the wagon. Now she has a bruise on her hip and dirt on her face from when Mushu shoved her so rudely off the wagon.

"We can check out the village we passed some time ago," Sain suggested.

"No that's too far away," Lyn whined.

"If-if we fly on Huey then we can get there fast," Florina mumbled to Lyn.

"Good point. Let's go you two," Lyn said.

"Uh, milady. Should we not inform Sir Mushu as to our destination?" Kent asked politely.

"Nah. Let the worrywart sweat it out," Lyn grinned evilly.

"As you command," the knights sighed in unison. Their liege was so petty.

The party minus Mushu headed out for the village. In the village, they saw a dismal scene. There were bodies lying on the ground, unmoving. Lyn motioned for Florina to bring her down. On the ground, Lyn ran over to one of the bodies. She shook the body and checked its pulse. There was none.

"What happened here?" Lyn cried.

"Bandits, from the looks of things," Sain said through gritted teeth. He had no love for bandits. After all, he lost a friend in the knight corps fighting a bandit attack on Caelin soil.

"The residents are all gone. There are no clothes, food, or other material possessions in the houses. There are tables and chairs and some beds remaining but otherwise there are no other traces of life here. It's like the entire population disappeared," Kent said.

"Not disappeared, killed or taken by bandits," Lyn touched the hilt of her sword.

"No. They are not bandits my lady," Kent put in.

"What?" Lyn asked taken back.

"If they were bandits then we would have seen burned remains of the homes. Bandits take great pleasure from doing such things," Kent explained.

"Then who?" Lyn asked puzzled.

"Slavers," Florina said wide eyed.

"Correct Lady Florina. Slavers are very common through this region. This area has very little military presence from Bern. Slavers can get easy slaves with little costs," Sain put in.

"We have to help those people!" Lyn cried.

"I… do not believe that would be a wise course of action my lady. Slavers tend to have armed guards. We have but four, five if we return for Sir Mushu," Kent said kindly.

"Even so, I can't leave people in need," Lyn pushed.

"Be reasonable. We have no idea where the slavers might be. For all we know, they may be long gone," Kent chided.

"Um. I can look around to see if they are around," Florina quietly said.

"See. That is solved," Lyn smiled at Florina.

"But we lack the manpower," Kent pushed.

"We do have the element of surprise Kent. Between you and me, we should be able to account for a fair share of them. The lady can take care of herself, we know. Lady Florina's Pegasus can fight well. And if Lady Florina can use that lance of hers half as well as she kicks we are set," Sain grinned at Florina to show no hard feelings. Florina cowered behind Lyn. Sain sighed.

"Sain. It's too dangerous," Kent said through gritted teeth.

"So it's settled. You don't have to come with us if you don't want to Kent," Lyn gave him an icy look that said the conversation was over.

"As you wish my lady," Kent sighed and moved to Sain's side.

Florina, on Lyn's orders, flew high into the sky and spotted a large group of people moving westward. She quickly relayed that information to the others. She flew low to pick up Lyn and the knights rode forward following Florina west.

From their vantage point up in the sky, Lyn can make out their targets. She saw around thirty prisoners in chains. There were around twenty not in chains. Those must be the slavers. She did not like those odds. Twenty to four, five if they count Huey. Suddenly she started having second thoughts but the idea that these people will be put to work against their wills, infuriated Lyn.

When the two girls saw that the knights were riding close, they made their move. Florina dove close to the group and immediately was shot at by two archers. The initial arrows missed but succeeded in spooking Huey. They made an emergency landing right in the middle of the slavers and their prisoners.

"Halt. You shall go no further with the innocents," Lyn tried to act tough but her legs were wobbly from the fall. Huey seemed to have a sprained ankle and Florina was nervously shaking her lance.

Lyn knew that Huey won't be of any help right now and Florina would be distracted. It was too late to change her mind though.

"And who might you be?" one of the slavers said amused.

"I am-" Lyn began.

"No. It doesn't matter. We have two more slaves to add to the party and a mighty nice Pegasus to join the party. More profit for us," that same slaver laughed. Others joined his laughter.

He and the others unsheathed their weapons. There were three swordsmen, eight axe wielders, two archers, four mages wielding wind and fire tomes, and three foot soldiers, deserters by the look of their tarnished armors that belong to the Bernese army.

At that moment, the knights rode in and slew two mages. The odds were better now but the element of surprise was gone and they had to protect the prisoners as well as themselves. The slavers roared at their loss and charged the knights and ladies. Lyn quickly slew a brigand who came to close. Florina was engaged in an even match with a deserter lance. Kent and Sain were easily besting the swordsmen. Huey managed to ignore his pain and trampled a swordsman who tried to sneak up on Florina before passing out.

The group fought valiantly but they were outnumbered. By now, the prisoners had all escaped. The slavers were too engaged in the battle to stop them. This infuriated them even more. The odds were starting to get better for Lyn's group but they were exhausted and the slavers outnumber them eight to two. Florina took a bad blow to the head but she'll live. Huey was still unconscious. Sain took a bad axe blow to the leg. They will need to properly dress the wound or he may lose the leg. For now at least, he was out of commission. Lyn and Kent were fighting bravely but they were close to exhaustion and the slavers were taking their time, using feints and group attacks to wear down their stamina. Good news was that the knights took out the mages and archers. All that was left were six axes and two deserter lances.

Kent was using a steel sword Sain threw him. When questioned, Sain said he pilfered it from Mushu's inventory for the trip. He would have to pay the merchant later. He would also have to reprimand his fellow but for now he was glad of his friend's thievery.

Lyn was using the Mani Katti and the blade was cutting though man and weapon easily but she was exhausted. She still felt woozy from the fall and the fast combat was irritating the injury she got from an archer to the left shoulder.

"We'll need a miracle to survive this, my lady," Kent said sadly though there was no bitterness in his voice.

"I'm sorry for dragging you guys into this," Lyn said sadly.

"Think nothing of it. This was a just cause and we are proud to follow you," Kent said. Sain muttered an agreement but winced in pain.

A miracle did come in the form of two arrows embedding themselves in the deserter lances' throats. The remaining brigands turned to the new threat and with a surge of last minute effort, Kent and Lyn charged forward and swiftly cut down three brigands. The odds were now three to three. The remaining brigands quickly turned to flee but the mysterious archer put three arrows into them. That was that.

"Thank you for your help friend," Kent moved to offer his hand to the newcomer.

"Think nothing of it. If it wasn't for you guys, none of the villagers would have been able to escape. Name's Wil by the way. Sorry I couldn't help out sooner. Needed to help the villagers go to safety first. None are fighters so yeah. Oh how are your wounds. That guy's leg looks terrible. Really need a healer. And by the way what are your names?" Wil said rapidly.

"What?" Lyn asked.

"This is the Lady Lyndis. I am Kent, knight of Caelin. That is Sain, also a knight of Caelin. The lady and her Pegasus are Florina and Huey respectively," Kent said apparently able to keep up with Wil's fast mouth.

"So why were you here? Not to doubt your characters but that is insane. Four against twenty. Wow," Wil said shocked.

"The lady desired to help. We can only oblige," Kent said, "Now we must take our leave. Farewell Wil and Godspeed to you."

"Wait. Wait. Can I come with you guys? I got business in Phreak and these mountains are treacherous. I got mugged by bandits once already and if those villagers didn't help me I would have died," Wil said.

"Well, it's not my place to say. You must consult Mushu, our guardian in a sense," Kent said reluctantly.

"Let's just go Kent. We have a long way to go. I know Mushu is going to kill us," Lyn groaned.

She shook Florina awake and helped load her onto Sain's horse. Kent lifted Sain onto his horse and rode ahead. Wil was given Huey's reins and led the Pegasus through the forest. Lyn and Florina rode behind him.

When they got back to the wagon they saw smoke. Mushu was making dinner. The wagon was still blocking the cave entrance. Mushu looked pissed.

"Where were you guys? I said to have fun not stay out until who knows when. And why the devil do you have these injuries?" Mushu spat.

Kent filled Mushu in on the details while the old man tended to Sain's injury. He applied two vulnerary and some wild herbs ground into a powder onto the wound. He also made Sain drink a disgusting mixture. Sain's injury however quickly healed up, leaving a long red scar running from his lower thigh to the lower knee.

Mushu then fed Huey some herbs and did the same treatment to his leg. Florina also was treated but she only had a small concussion. Lyn and Kent were exhausted but had no grave injuries. Mushu gave Wil a quick glance and offered him some food. They suppose Mushu accepted the young archer. After a quick meal, the warriors all went to sleep, dead tired from their little adventure.

The next morning, the party headed out again with a new addition in tow. Wil was a helpful to the mood. He always seemed to have something to say. It seemed he was from Pherae, a province in Lycia. He set out on the journey to make a name for himself as well as some extra cash. He had a companion but they lost each other some time ago. The group expressed their sympathies but Wil brushed it off as his companion was "a piece of work that could live through a typhoon". They didn't get the expression but accepted it anyways. He was riding with Sain since the knight still could not use move his leg well.

They rode past the cave but Lyn managed to get a peek at the cave earlier that morning. Inside the cave was a tombstone, no, a memorial. She couldn't read the words on it but she can read one line that said "_**Salus populi suprema lex esto". **_

"We have to stop having rest days like those. I don't think we can take another one," Lyn groaned.

"You're still young. You'll heal," Mushu laughed.

"Mushu. What does "Salus populi suprema lex esto" mean?" Lyn asked.

"Ah you read the inscription did you? Well no harm in telling you. It means "May the safety of the people be the greatest law". It was the motto of the Vindictive Group," Mushu explained though his expression changed. There was a sad look in his eyes that made him seem even older than his forty or so years of age.

"Vindictive Group? Were you in it?" Lyn asked, curious of Mushu's past.

"That group of lying murderers? Hell no. I wanted nothing to do with them," Mushu barked.

"Then why were you hiding it?" Lyn asked.

"I wasn't," Mushu said.

"There was some kind of barrier at the entrance. I couldn't get through. There were fresh flowers though native to the Sacaen region. You put the flowers there. If you weren't in the group, how did you get in?" Lyn questioned.

"I knew the password. It was a hideout and one of my old friends was in the group. Those flowers are for him," Mushu said.

At Lyn's questioning face, he added, "he wasn't a bad guy. He joined to rout the group from within but he fell in love with one of the main leader, a fair haired and voluptuous woman who treated people like dirt. He died for her and his name was etched onto the tombstone like the others. Still, he helped to rout the group. Many choose to lump him in with them though because in his last moments he gave his life to protect the woman and allow her to stage a final bloody attack," Mushu went on.

"That's terrible but pretty sweet at the same time," Lyn said.

"It was. I imagine I would do the same if I was him so I try to honor him with flowers every time I visit his grave. White camellias were his favorites because of their color," Mushu said.

Lyn stayed quiet throughout the ride and rode with Florina after their next break to allow Mushu to have some time with himself. Unnecessary, but appreciated was the action.

Mushu smiled, "She is a lot like you Ian."

_**

* * *

**_Okay that's done. Reviews are appreciated guys. And if you want something then private message me or review. You know the little button below this. I learned how to private message now so I can actually reply to you guys.


	9. Two Paths Diverged

Nothing to really say. just enjoy and review.

Disclaimer-no

* * *

Chapter 9- Two Roads Diverged

"Well kids. We seem to be in a bit of a crossroads," Mushu frowned.

The group had reached the bottom of the mountain. Thankfully for Mushu, he chose the right path through the mountains and they did not have to confront the Taliver. Right now, Mushu knew running into the Taliver would be death. The group just was not prepared for such odds, especially with their many injuries. Well, Mushu was relatively unscathed though he had some back pains. Still, a battle able old man, even if he was a fighter, won't keep five others alive.

"Why is it there are always crossroads at some point of any journey?" Wil sighed.

Mushu got off his wagon and headed over to the signs marking the ways they could go. Each sign had quite a bit of writing on it. Mushu read the writing on both and made his way back to the wagon He motioned for Lyn and Florina to dismount from their position above them.

"Alright. From those signs, I know which one we will be taking. But just for the heck of it, I'll tell you the details then we'll have a vote," Mushu said.

"To what purpose?" Kent asked.

"To amuse me. Just humor an old man," Mushu grinned when he saw Kent frown disapprovingly. This was wasting precious time but Mushu decided he better take to educating the kids under his watch in better enriching their minds.

"On one hand. There is a battered and used road. This road leads to three small villages and a bustling city. It's a fair distance. There will be inns and taverns, places to shop and restock. The other road is fairly fresh. There are no sights to see except for a rundown old fort. We'll sleep under trees and have to keep watches. It will probably rain. We'll all be wet and miserable," Mushu explained.

The others gave him a weird look.

"Is there really a reason to ask us to vote then?" Lyn asked a bit peeved.

"I assume you all vote for the inn trail," Mushu said.

"Yes," they all agreed.

Mushu sighed, "Then goodbye Florina. You were a joy to have. Have a safe journey back to Ilia okay?"

Florina looked frightened and Lyn roared at Mushu, "What are you doing? You are scaring poor Florina."

"But we can't go on the inn road if Florina is with us. Well actually it is the Pegasus. We could leave Huey behind but as his trainer, I believe Florina would want to stay with him," Mushu said.

"Why would it be a problem?" Sain asked.

"Well the people up ahead aren't particularly fond of pegasi or its riders I'm afraid," Mushu let on.

"How do you know that?" Lyn hissed.

"When you get to be my age, you gain great wisdom. You become able to pick up on the smallest details. The mysteries of the universe itself seem to become clearer. I have merely clarified such a mystery," Mushu bragged.

"And you saw the sign here," Sain interrupted the gloat fest.

The said sign was simple but direct. There was a picture of a Pegasus in majestic flight being shot at by archers. There was another sign that had a Pegasus in the center and a big X on it. The others gave Mushu a dirty look.

"If you knew, why did you waste our time?" Lyn snarled.

"I thought it would be amusing and it was. The look on your faces was priceless," Mushu chuckled.

Lyn pulled her sword out of its sheathe and Mushu hurriedly spoke, "I was testing whether you all can make a decision. Sadly, you all failed except for Sain. That surprised and scared me. You must be willing to go further. If you had gone on that road, Florina, Huey, and Lyn if she's riding may all be hurt or killed. As knights especially, you mustn't be so lax."

"You are correct Sir Mushu. My companion and I have been too lax in our efforts. Now we will redouble our efforts," Kent said quite miffed.

The others gave Mushu a cold glare for making them feel bad. Mushu as usual shrugged it off. It was hard being a responsible minded adult in a group of teenagers.

"Well then, shall we go down this road? I heard there is plentiful game in this area if it helps," Mushu got in the wagon.

From the looks on their faces, it didn't but they trudged on. Soon, they reached an old abandoned fort. The fort, Mushu explained, was an old key structure set up to defend against Lycian advance into Bernese territory. It was later abandoned. Weather and time have eroded this once great structure.

"Looks like we would be spending the night here," Mushu said.

No one wanted to argue. It had been a long day and a roof over their heads even in an old abandoned fort was better than nothing. Mushu motioned for the knights to stop. He and Lyn headed into the fort first to check it out. Sain, Kent, and Florina would check the perimeter for enemies.

In the fort, Lyn found a Bernese woman lying on the ground. She was massaging her foot with one hand and holding a small dagger in her other. She was obviously trying to look strong but that was hard to do. She was pretty in a plain sort of way. Her hair was the traditional brown of Bernese people. Her figure was slim, more due to poor nutrition and lack of food than anything else.

Lyn immediately reached out to the woman and said in the common tongue that she wished to help. The woman had a look of confusion on her face and waved the dagger in front of Lyn. Lyn ran forward and tried to take the dagger before the woman can hurt someone. She managed to do so but got a small cut on her left hand in the meantime. She cursed in pain and scared the woman even more.

Lyn tried speaking again but the woman just shivered and shook her head, eyes closed. Sighing, Lyn admitted defeat and called out to Mushu. Already, Mushu had checked the other rooms. The place was in really bad shape. One wall was threatening to fall down. The whole place would collapse in due time. Luckily, that won't be today.

Mushu responded to Lyn's call and headed to the room with the woman. He had a vague impression of the woman and wondered if they met before. He dismissed the idea when he saw the woman's fearful expression. He heard her muttering a name over and over again, "Dorcas". He wondered where he heard the name before.

Lyn motioned for him to help her. He walked a little closer as to not startle the woman. The woman watched him carefully. In her hands, was a small rock, jagged and practically worthless as a weapon, but Mushu could see the act as one of fear and panic. If he didn't act carefully, the woman might have a heart attack.

"Do not worry. We mean you no harm. We are travelers who happened to take refuge in this fort for the night. I am Mushu and she is Lyn. I am a seller of war goods. She is a… resident of the land Caelin. We are traveling there now." Mushu spoke in Bernese.

"How can I believe you?" the woman spoke but Mushu noticed her relaxing a little.

"You can't but you have no choice. You are injured. The rock you have there is little more than a pebble. I'll give you my word but words are meaningless without proof. It is your choice." Mushu knew he was being far too blunt and crude but well, he was never one to mince words.

The woman glared at him and said, "I can take care of myself."

"No you can't. The girl has some skill with the blade. I have some skill of my own. If the two of us mean you any harm, we would have done it already and not talking here," Mushu sighed. He was getting a little frustrated. Sometimes adults could be more difficult than children.

"You could be slave traders. Then you will want me in good condition," she spat out.

"As I said, you are injured or perhaps crippled. You can't work. There are healthier slaves. You would have little more value than a common whore. It would cost too much to keep you alive and the profit would be too little. If we had desired that, we, I, would have done that already, and not be talking," Mushu emphasized the last word, trying to drill that into he stubborn woman's head. No, scratch that, all women are difficult. Lyn and Florina were perfect examples of that.

The woman gave him a really fierce glare, dampened by the fact that they knew he held all the cards. (Wow. He seemed like a bastard at that moment.) He softened his expression and pulled out his ace.

"You mentioned a Dorcas. Did he used to be in the Vindictive Group?" Mushu asked.

The woman's look confirmed his thought, "How do you know that?"

"I had a friend in that group. Under his command was a fierce young man called Dorcas. He had a lover, Natalie, I believe," he indicated his head at the woman who slowly nodded and continued, "He left before the demise of the group and escaped death but he is still wanted in parts of Lycia and Bern as a killer and thief."

"He is no thief or murderer," the woman hissed.

"I knew him. You do too. Don't cover the truth with lies or pretty words please. We are far too old for that. Now please tell me why he allowed you to venture this far from safety? The Dorcas I knew was overly protective, unless you broke up of course," Mushu mused.

"We are married. My leg is in pain. He is raising money to get medicine," Natalie explained.

"Does he know you are out here?" Mushu asked.

"I was worried. He has not returned for weeks," Natalie explained.

"You are putting yourself in great danger. At the very least, you should have requested aid in this foolhardy quest," Mushu said a little peeved.

"No one would come with me. I had no money," Natalie said bitterly.

Natalie was not greedy. She had no real desire of material goods. Did she wish she had more? Of course. But she counted her blessings and was grateful for them. She would protect those blessings with all her strength. Dorcas was one of those.

"We will escort you to the nearest village tomorrow. I will pay for some guards to take you where you need to go. Don't worry. I require no repayment. Just try to stay out of trouble. I know how difficult a new start is for every member of the Vindictive, who managed to escape," Mushu sighed.

"I-I thank you. I apologize for my rudeness earlier," Natalie finally said when she recognized the sincerity of Mushu's words.

"Think nothing of it. I have four other members in my party. We will stay in the adjacent rooms. Please stay in here. We will prepare some food and bring it to you. You must be famished after all," Mushu said gently.

Natalie smiled her gratitude and Lyn helped her onto the dusty bed in the corner. Lyn had no idea what Mushu said but the woman accepted her help now. That was all that mattered.

"Bad news sir. There is a large group of bandits heading here. And one of the leaders is the guy we saw at the temple of the Mani Katti," Sain ran in spilling the bad news.

Outside, Kent, Florina, and Wil were making preparations for the upcoming battle. Mushu's wagon was moved inside as were the other horses. Huey remained with Florina.

"Damn it. Not now," Mushu swore.

Sain noticed the woman by Lyn and swore himself. Now they have no chance of running away.


	10. Severed Past

Been a while. I was on vacation then there was a lot of work pre-finals. It's finals right now so I have time.

I may not seem like it but i really do appreciate any and all feedback so even if you think its rude, flame. It's alright. getting no feedback makes me worried. And thank you to everyone that has continued to read the story.

Disclaimer-not mine

* * *

Severed Past

"Form up!" Mushu shouted.

The others were looking frantic. Florina kept dropping her lightweight lance. Wil was fumbling with his bow. Lyn was fidgeting nervously. Kent and Sain were exchanging worried looks. Mushu himself was pacing back and forth. Poor Natalie was confused. No one wanted to tell her what was going on. Most of them couldn't anyways but she could tell something was up by the look on their faces.

"Mushu. What is the matter?" Natalie asked in Bernese.

"We are under attack," Mushu explained.

There was no value in lying to her. Better she found out now so she could decide what to do in the event they should all fall. Mushu handed her a bronze dagger. Light and handy, she could defend herself with it… or take her own life. Wordlessly she took the dagger and nodded her understanding.

"What's the plan?" Wil asked nervously.

"We need to take Lady Lyndis and leave here quickly. Dame Florina can fly her lady away from here. Caelin is to the northwest of here," Kent offered his suggestion.

"I am not leaving others behind for my own safety," Lyn fiercely proclaimed.

"My lady. This is no time for stubbornness. We need you to take cover," Kent argued.

"We don't have time for this," Mushu grunted, "Look here. Even if they leave now, the enemy would just shoot them down with arrows or pursue them later on. If we stave off the assault now, we would be able to traverse the rest of the way in relative safety."

"That's a big if," Sain interjected. He had no plans to die today but even he knew the odds were against them.

"It's our only hope. Pity we don't have Dorcas to help us or maybe a thief," Mushu said wistfully.

Lyn scowled, "What use would a lowlife thief be here?"

"Under the cover of darkness, he or she could slip in and kill the enemy leader. Bandits are an unruly bunch so if we take down the head, the rest should fall apart quite easily," Mushu explained.

"What about this Dorcas fellow?" Wil asked.

"He has a good sword arm and… is Natalie's husband," Mushu indicated to the woman on the bed.

"Where is he? Did he abandon his wife?" Sain said angrily. He hated the idea of any man being willing to abandon their kin.

"No. Dorcas is fiercely loyal. He probably doesn't even realize Natalie is out here," Mushu sighed, "I won't expect him to come to our aid either."

"So basically we're in a battle we can't win with any hope of escape or reinforcements," Wil summed up the situation.

"We can win. It will be difficult but possible," Mushu corrected.

"Sounds fun," Wil joked. No one laughed.

"Anyways, what's the situation with the fortress?" Mushu directed his question to the knights.

"The majority of it is sturdy enough but there's a weak wall to the rear. A few good hits will cause it to collapse. We would need someone to guard it," Kent said.

"There is also a side entrance. It isn't too big so only one could get through at any time. Still, it would take a few defenders. As for the main entrance, it's wide. They can come in droves," Sain added.

"That's really… grim. Yes, definitely grim and difficult as well. How many arrows you got Wil?" Mushu asked Wil.

"I got about two dozen with me right now," Wil said.

"Not enough. You will need more. Sain, help Wil grab a few more quivers from my wagon. Then I want you to guard the wall. There are javelins in my wagon. Grab some and pelt them from afar, then switch to your sword and keep them away. Wil, go the front and yell when you see them," Mushu directed.

When they left, Kent asked, "What should we do?"

"I want you and Lyn to guard the front along with Wil. He can provide range support while you two hold off the brigands," Mushu said.

"I must ask you to reconsider. The risks to her are far too great," Kent said. It was obvious who the "she" he was referring to was.

"We have no other choice. Sain is needed at the wall. He has the better reflexes of the two. He can fight at range. Lyn lacks both of those areas," Mushu explained.

"What about you?" Kent asked angrily.

"Florina and I will guard the side door. She can attack from the air while I hold the door. I can also redirect her to different areas if they are falling. In addition, she can relay my orders and give me updates on the battle," Mushu explained further.

"You and Lady Lyndis can swap places. After all, Dame Florina and she have a bond not to mention the Dame's fear of men," Kent tried persuading.

"It won't work. I'm far too old and slow to keep up with an onslaught of healthy fighters. One on one is about all I can handle. If we had one more fighter things would be way different," Mushu sighed thoroughly annoyed at the young man in front of him, "Now get going."

Kent looked like he was about to retort but Lyn pushed him out the door and towards the main gate. Mushu sighed to himself and started praying for a miracle. After his rather short prayer to every deity he knew, he gave Natalie a comforting squeeze on the shoulder and left for his position. The bandits have still not attacked. Mushu made his way to the others and offered them so small advice and words of comfort. From the others' expressions, he was not very good at it.

At sunset they attacked. It was a terrible time to attack by military standards. It was too late for the enemy to be caught unprepared. It was too early to mount sneak attacks under cover of darkness. The only offense now was to attack with sheer force of might. Well, that was the plan from the beginning anyways.

They came in droves, each uglier than the last. At the entrances though, they had to slow their advance. They started attacking in pairs at the entrance but were quickly brought down by Wil. The sudden fall of the lead bandits caused the others to pause long enough for Wil to fire two more arrows. These didn't kill but one pierced a bandit's arm. The other missed completely.

Wary of the archer, they slowed their advance and moved carefully forward. Caution though made them easy prey for Lyn and Kent. Their swords easily cut through two more bandits before the rest made a "tactical" retreat. The bandits had a problem. They just lost four of their force of sixty. Twenty were attacking from the rear and twenty more were attacking a side door for a grand total of a force of one hundred men.

It wasn't the losses that frustrated them. It was the ease their prey dispatched them. Bandits were not known for their brilliant minds so it was no wonder, none came up with a strategy of attack. Tensions mounting, they decided to hell with it and continued their attack.

Meanwhile, at the rear, Sain was having an easy time chucking javelins against the bandits. Well, it was easy until some genius decided they could throw those back at him. He promptly decided to stop before a bevy of brutes could amass enough javelins to accidentally hit him. He took four down this way but from his count, he still had thirteen more to kill.

Then things went bad. The wall in front of him collapsed and an arrow slammed into his left shoulder. They had an archer hiding thirty feet away behind a rock. Cursing, Sain quickly killed the bugger before he could fire another shot but now his sword hand was compromised. He would have to fight right handed. Luckily, the wall's remains were blocking the way and only one bandit could enter at a time. Just the way Sain liked it.

At the side door, Mushu and Florina were having an easy time dispatching of the enemy. There was a count of eighteen but eight have already fallen. Those that tried to attack the door were hit from behind by a javelin. Those trying to attack the Pegasus rider were cut down when their focus was on said rider. That left ten more. Mushu had a good feeling about this. If they can finish quickly, he can send Florina over to help Sain.

"By the sound of things, the wall must have collapsed at Sain's end," Mushu astutely thought.

"M-Mushu," Florina stuttered as she flew in close. She just spotted an archer.

"I know. I see him too. Let's see. I'll go in close. Fly low," Mushu whispered as he silently ran towards the archer. It freaked Florina out how he moved without a sound. It was unnerving to say the least.

The bandits must have also been surprised as he cuts one down easily and ran towards the archer again. It wasn't until he was five feet away then he realized something was wrong. The archer wasn't shooting. In fact, he discarded the bow and was now bringing out an axe.

"Damn it," Mushu bitterly swore.

It was a trap. He was suddenly surrounded by five men. One of them was a swordsman as well. Mushu turned to where Florina was but saw her fending off four bandits of her own. Then two more suddenly showed up. One of them was dressed in a tan shirt, ripped in all places, and black pants. His red hair and chiseled face was familiar, but it was the wooden necklace that caught Mushu's eyes. It was the Vindictive's symbol, the Ouroboros. It was the symbol of fate, ordaining that the corrupt shall fall from their mistakes.

Mushu hated the symbol more than anything, a fragment of his past that he wished to forget. Now he was happy to see it because it meant that the people he's trying to protect now may live through this yet.

"Dorcas," Mushu softly said.

The redheaded man took a step forward and took a better look at the man in front of him, "You- why are you here?"

"Hey, you know him?" a man in blue asked him.

"I fought with him and against him a long time ago," Dorcas said but made no attempt to get closer or farther away from Mushu.

"So what now? You wanna let him go or somethin'?" the man in blue asked.

"If possible. I owe him a great deal," Dorcas had a heavy look on his face.

"Natalie's here," Mushu felt the time was ripe to say the one thing that can turn Dorcas to his side.

"What?" now Dorcas did step forward and lifted Mushu up by his shirt.

"Natalie's here," Mushu softly said.

"Why?" Dorcas whispered, throat suddenly dry.

"You know why," Mushu whispered.

"Did you-" Dorcas snapped.

"You know I wouldn't," Mushu softly said again.

"Damn it," Dorcas swore.

"What now?" Mushu whispered.

"I have to get her out of here," Dorcas whispered.

"So what are you going to-" but there was no need for him to finish his words. Dorcas swung the ax on his back into the body of a nearby bandit. The man in blue did the same and in moments the others were cut down.

"Let's go," Dorcas coldly said.

"That your friend," Mushu gestured cautiously at the man in blue.

"Yeah. Bartre meet Mushu. Mushu, Bartre. Now if you ladies don't mind, I need to check on my wife," Dorcas said impatiently as he ran towards the surrounded Florina.

"Go up!" Mushu shouted for Florina to hear. Florina quickly obeyed just in time for Dorcas to jump into the fray and start hacking the crowd. Mushu and Bartre quickly joined in and the bandits all fell down.

"Bartre, guard the entrance. Florina, to Sain. Dorcas, let's check on Natalie," Mushu shouted.

Bartre inclined his head respectfully for the two to go on and started applying some vulnerary to a cut he got on his right arm. Florina flew Huey towards the rear entrance and fell on a bandit. Sain waved a greeting. Mushu and Dorcas headed inside to see Natalie.

As Dorcas opened the door, he was greeted to the sight of his wife holding a dagger menacingly to her chest. He let out a short laugh at the sight but was quickly filled with warmth at the sight of his wife there. Natalie, upon realizing it was Dorcas, dropped her dagger, and tried to walk over to him. He beat her to it and embraced her.

"Dor-Dorcas. I've missed you," Natalie whimpered.

"I know. I missed you too dear. I'm sorry for leaving you alone like that," Dorcas pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"It's okay. You came back. That's all that matters," Natalie smiled as she kissed his face all over. Mushu made a gag gesture in the background.

"As sickening as this is, I need to return to the battle and Dorcas, we could use your help. If you decide to help, then go to one of the entrances," Mushu turned away, "But I will understand if you don't. If you want to leave, go to where Bartre is and escape with him. That's the safest spot."

Then he left the couple alone. Dorcas looked at his wife, "What do you want us to do?"

"Isn't it obvious? Go help him," Natalie let go of her husband.

"It will be dangerous," Dorcas said.

"It's always dangerous," Natalie shrugged.

"We can leave right now. I can ask Mushu for some money and-" Dorcas stopped when his wife placed a finger at his lips.

"Leave them to die." Natalie finished his sentence for him. Dorcas said nothing.

"Dorcas. I love you a lot and I don't want to be separated from you but right now, you need to help them," Natalie gently chided.

"I can never win a fight with you," Dorcas chuckled.

"That's because I'm such a good wife," Natalie half joked.

"You are. Far more than I deserve," Dorcas said seriously as he kissed his wife's hand and left with his ax.

* * *

Yes Bartre shouldnt be here. Doras seems weird. Live with it alright. this isn't a straight retelling after all.


	11. Desecration

The fight is finally concluded. One more chapter of the fort and then we'll move on to Serra and Erk.

Thanks to my reviewers and others who continued to read this story.

I've had a review from Hyralc teling me that people were ooc. So I'll clear some stuff here. Bartre didn't seem like an idiot to me, just bloodthirsty and hotheaded. Thus, I'm not going to portray him as an idiot. As for Dorcas's coldbloodedness (O-o) and willingness to leave them behind, well chalk it up to him loving his wife very dearly. In a moment like that, he would have to choose what is more important. Obviously, he chose Natalie. That was why he abided by her wishes and joined the fight.

Desecration

The battle was taking its toll on the small force. With Dorcas and Bartre in the fray, their odds have improved greatly. For the first time, Mushu felt they had a chance in surviving this day. However, he underestimated the enemy's numbers and the overestimated the skill level of his comrades.

Bartre was doing a good job keeping the side door safe. Mushu was concerned with his reckless fighting style. The man seemed to have a penchant for death. While it may be helpful, it was frightening at the same time. Dorcas assured Mushu that Bartre was skilled but Mushu was not convinced.

Sain was out cold. Apparently a bandit knocked him out with a well thrown rock. Mushu couldn't even chuckle at that. They needed all the men they could get. Florina was injured but was still able to fight. Mushu had asked the fairly unscathed Lyn to help Florina protect the rear.

Kent's wounds were minor but may impair his fighting abilities later on. With a broken arm, Wil was out of the fight. He was left to tend to Sain. Dorcas was fit for battle though he seemed more sluggish than Mushu remembered. Mushu himself was relatively unscathed.

Bandit numbers were dwindling but they were still outnumbered at least three to one. In the midst of their troubles, he formulated three possible plans. None were appealing. One would entail sacrificing the injured members of their party like Sain to the bandits. The second would require him to burn his wagon to plug up the front entrance. The third plan was the least likely to work but it was the least costly of the three. Besides if he failed then the others could always do plans one or two.

Deciding that their best chance of survival was for him to kill the bandit leader, he informed Kent and Dorcas of his plans. There was no reason to let the others know. They would only protest or get in his way. Worse, they could be distracted and killed.

So Mushu quietly left, muttering a quick prayer to the deities for their protection. His only chance was to call on the skills he hadn't used for fifteen years, the skills that earned him the title of the Angel of Death. That title took him back, to Brendan, to Mikhail, and to many others. He lied to Lyn about his role in the Vindictives but well, what she didn't know won't hurt her.

He hated the title he was given. In the past, he loved it, even reveled in it. Now he found it disgusting how he could have killed so many and not care. Meeting Rhea was the best thing after all.

Mushu ran and ran until he found the man he was looking for, the cause of all their troubles. Somehow, he knew who the leader was since the beginning of this battle. In front of him was the bandit from the temple of the Mani Katti still dressed in his dirty faded red shirt and brown pants. That red bandanna was the source of their troubles. In this moment, Mushu hated the man.

Migal for his part felt dread upon first sighting. When he saw that Mushu was alone though, he felt anger and confidence swelling within him. Thanks to this man and his group of friends, this was his last chance. Carjiga made it clear that if he failed this time, with all the men and resources given to him, Carjiga himself would kill him. Because of this man, his position in the bandit hierarchy was in danger. Thanks to this man, he was a laughingstock. He would enjoy killing him.

There were other bandits but by Migal's expression, they knew to steer clear of their commander. They believed he was somewhat on the deep end. He was angrier and moodier as of late. They fear he was going insane. Bandits were brave and not overly bright, but they were survivors and if their leader was insane, they had a no sane reason to follow him.

The fight had begun. The two fighters were glaring at each other but neither was moving. One was driven by instinct and fury. The other had a calculating cold contempt. The one driven by anger attacked first, using his immense strength to swing his axe in menacing blows. One would be enough to cleave a man in two. Mushu just swayed to dodge. In his hands were two daggers, plain silver and razor sharp. The blades were no longer than eight inches long and perhaps a millimeter thick. Still, it would cut through flesh easily if he ever found his chance.

As the fight dragged on, the other bandits were getting impatient. Their comrades were dying one by one and their leader can't even take care of one old man. Some wanted to give their leader a hand. Most of them just wanted to wait and see what happens. If he died, a new position just opened up.

Mushu was wary. That was why he made no moves yet. He wanted to see if the other bandits would join the man he was fighting. If they did, then he would have to charge and sacrifice his life to kill him. If they didn't then he could concentrate on the fight before him. Even so, he couldn't afford any mistakes. He won't get a second chance if he failed the first attempt. He was simply too worn out to do so.

So when Migal made an overhead swipe at him, he simply stepped into range and thrusted his daggers into the bandit's chest. He was dead in an instant. The other bandits watched in amazement but none went over to attack him.

Mushu made his bluff, "Who is next?"

He pulled the daggers out and twirled them menacingly. He accompanied the action with the fiercest glare he could muster. He only hoped it was effective.

It wasn't. However, they were getting reports that the fourth wave was beaten back. Now their force was halved. Perhaps they could succeed but none wanted to chance dying for no reason at all. The bandits started dispersing. In a few moments, only Mushu remained.

Back at the fort, Lyn's group had just beaten back another wave of bandits. They were exhausted. More and more were being added to the casualties pile. Bartre had countless wounds all over his body. Kent's right leg had a severe wound to it. Lyn's sword arm was broken. Florina was knocked out cold by the blunt side of an ax. Sain and Wil were still out of the fight. Natalie was definitely out of the question. Luckily, none of them have died but only Dorcas was left able to fight.

"This may be it," Lyn said grimly, tying a bandage around her wounded arm while wrapping her sword in her free hand. The wrap will tighten her grip so she could fight with that hand.

"My lady. Run with Natalie and Dorcas. We'll stay behind and hold them off. Take weapons and gold from Mushu's wagon. He's already given permission," Kent coughed.

"We could burn it now," Dorcas said grimly.

"I'll do it. But get the horses and gold. There's little time," Kent said as he struggled to get to his feet.

"There's no time. They're coming," Wil shouted. He was keeping watch so the others could rest.

"Alright! Time for us to beat those bandits back like the cowards they are!" Bartre gave a whoop and jumped to his feet, two axes in hand. They were axes he took from the fallen bandits. His old one was broken in two from his reckless fighting style.

But there was no need. Coincidentally at this time, Mushu had finished off Migal and caused the bandits to retreat. The bandits in the area started retreating one by one. Everyone sunk to the ground in relief. They survived.

After a while, the group could see a lone figure coming up to them. The figure seemed to be dragging something along. As the figure got closer, they were able to make out who he was and what he was dragging. It was upsetting and reassuring at the same time. Mushu was back dragging a corpse.

"No one died. That's good," Mushu sighed in relief as he threw the corpse to the ground.

"Mushu. Why? How?" Lyn stuttered.

"This was the leader. He was the source of our troubles. I wanted you all to know that he was dead," Mushu replied.

"You could've just told us," Lyn barked angrily. Dragging a corpse was sacrilege in her eyes. The dead should be respected not desecrated.

"I wanted the point to be driven into all of you," Mushu said.

"What point?" Wil asked, a bit disturbed.

"How one man can make a difference regardless of class or beginnings," Mushu said philosophically.

"Huh?" everyone else looked confused, except for Dorcas. He nodded his head in agreement.

"Look at him. Look at his clothes, his face, and his teeth. He most likely grew up in these mountains, received no training or education, and yet still damn near killed us all. I think Mushu's trying to say in the face of battle, only will matters," Dorcas supplied.

"That's beautiful but no. He hated us. I saw the hatred in his eyes, for whatever reason. He did this for revenge. I just wanted Lyn to see what revenge can do to someone," Mushu shrugged.

"Why the body then?" Dorcas demanded an answer.

"I don't really know or care. I thought he deserved it," Mushu had a dark look on his face.

No one wanted to say anything to that. At times, Mushu scared them. Dorcas knew exactly why though. And come to think of it, he owed Mushu a lot before and now he owed him even more. He sighed to himself knowing he would have a lot to answer for, both to Natalie and to Mushu. Honestly he couldn't wait.


	12. Parents

Ten or so chapters and I'll be done with tis. It's taking too long for my liking. Review please. Feedback is appreciated.

Disclaimer- nope

* * *

Parents

"You've really changed," Dorcas remarked. He and Mushu were alone on night watch.

"How so?" Mushu asked.

"You used to be the Angel of Death," Dorcas said.

"I still am," Mushu sighed.

"No. You're better now," Dorcas said.

"That is a matter of opinion," Mushu said.

"I suppose. If you still were the Angel then this battle would have been simple," Dorcas yawned.

"If you used a sword then we could've been done sooner," Mushu glanced at his companion.

"I can't. Not anymore anyways," Dorcas glanced at the scar on his sword hand.

"What happened?" Mushu asked.

"Not everyone escaped scot free. Brendan got scars all over his body. Mikhail got poisoned to the point he can never breathe easy again. As for me, the tendons in my right arm were nearly completely severed. Now, an axe is about the best I can do," Dorcas said wistfully.

"I knew that not everyone got out safely. I didn't either," Mushu rolled up his left pants leg. In the moonlight, Dorcas saw a large scar running from the ankle up. How far up he doesn't know.

"That's nasty," Dorcas grimaced.

"I effectively became a cripple," Mushu sighed.

"How can you still fight or move for that matter?" Dorcas asked.

"Herbs, potions, and all kinds of drugs. They ease the pain," Mushu said.

"And they kill you. You are shortening your life," Dorcas commented.

"If I didn't, I may have killed myself a long time ago," Mushu said.

Getting no response from Dorcas he continued, "The pain is incredible. It is like a thousand needles are constantly stabbing my leg."

"Sounds bad but drugs aren't the answer," Dorcas remarked.

"I know. But I have no real choice," Mushu said.

"You always have a choice. It's your own damn fault for not making a different one. You told me that," Dorcas said.

"Either take the drugs or get my leg cut off. What kind of choice was that?" Mushu laughed.

"Still," Dorcas began.

"I'm doing fine. Just because you were a crazed addict doesn't mean I am," Mushu interjected.

He immediately regretted his words and apologized, "Sorry. That was rude of me."

"It was my fault. I was young and reckless. I still have nightmares of that time," Dorcas spoke bitterly.

"But because of that, Natalie found you and you are the man you are today," Mushu added.

"I am so grateful for her kindness. She took in a wretch like me and made me become someone I can look in the eye and not hate. But sometimes, I still find it hard to look her in the eye. I keep thinking what if she is with me out of pity," Dorcas looked down.

"Don't ever do that to yourself. She loves you and you love her. I envy you two," Mushu was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"What happened to Rhea?" Dorcas suddenly asked. Mushu expected this with the conversation's turn.

"She died… after giving birth to my daughter," Mushu whispered so softly Dorcas almost didn't hear him.

"What happened to your daughter and son?" Dorcas asked.

"I asked Lord Tania to look after them. He… is my older brother after all," Mushu admitted.

"Why didn't you take care of them yourself?" Dorcas demanded. He hated the concept of a parent abandoning their children.

"I became a deadbeat drunk. My three day old daughter and my four year old son. I left them alone for so long. When I came to almost a year later, Mark wouldn't even look me in the eye. He had a look of hatred and contempt in his eyes. He was only five but he was already caring for my baby girl.

"My last shred of ego was destroyed in that moment. All the respect I had for myself was shattered. So I left. I left my children alone. I hired a nanny to take care of them while I was gone but before I left, Mark told me it was too late to act like a father now. I heard those words, saw the baby cradled carefully in his little hands, and left.

"I rode to Tania. We were in Laus at the time. When I arrived, I went to the castle. My brother and his wife and children gave me their condolences. I prostrated myself before them and begged them to care for my children as if they were their own. They had no reason to accept. I was a terrible brother and a traitor. But they did, out of pity or love. I didn't care.

"Looking back I made a lot of mistakes. If I didn't make those mistakes though, I would never have met you, Rhea, Brendan, or Mikhail. For that matter, we wouldn't even be sitting here now. So I don't wish that I never joined the Vindictives. But I do regret the greater mistakes of my life," Mushu told his story.

"I'm sorry and glad to hear that. But what now? Why are you here anyways, with Lyn and the others?" Dorcas asked.

"To repay my debts," Mushu pulled out a cask of ale and took a swig. He tossed it to Dorcas. He took a swig and burped his appreciation.

"Elaborate?" Dorcas asked.

"My brother wanted information on the various regions. He wanted to ensure peace so I volunteered. I was meeting with the Lorcan chief when I found out he died and Lyn was the last survivor. I was good friends with Hassar. It was the least I could do especially after I found out what happened," Mushu muttered the last part.

"What happened?" Dorcas asked.

"Taliver," Mushu sighed deeply.

Dorcas swore, "Those bastards."

"If Lyn knew what I did, she would never forgive me," Mushu said.

"Why? What did you do?" Dorcas asked.

"I… paid them off," Mushu admitted, "Left them some weapons and gold. They were more than happy to take a bribe."

"She won't like that," Dorcas agreed.

"No I don't," an angry voice sounded from behind.

"Damn. Mushu swore. Looking up, he realized, they were done on their watch a long time ago. That meant Lyn and apparently Florina was listening in. The purple haired girl was hiding behind Lyn. Apparently she was afraid. Of whom, Lyn or him, he did not know.

"Bad luck follows you don't it?" Dorcas commented before excusing himself. Florina went with him.

After they left, Lyn angrily said, "What do you mean you paid them off? And what do you mean you were in the Vindictives?"

Realizing he was caught, Mushu told the truth, "Exactly that. I was in the group. I was one of the best at the job. The Taliver are mostly the remnants of the group. They respected and feared me. They took my bribe. There was no way we could have beaten them so I paid them for safe passage."

"You were in league with those murderers?" Lyn's hand was dangerously close to her sword.

"In a way yes. I knew them from before and what happened to them after, but I never kept in touch," Mushu's hand was touching his sword as well.

Anger flashed through Lyn's eyes and she tried to draw the sword. She couldn't, "What?"

"Don't Lyn. The Mani Katti will never cut me," Mushu said confidently.

"Why?" Lyn asked.

"You heard the legend. The sword chooses the wielder. Mikhail was the owner of this sword. The spirit of the sword knows me. A holy sword only has one master until it is passed on, but it will be forever loyal to those owners," Mushu explained.

Then he did a surprising move. He drew his sword and placed it next to Lyn's head. He saw the anger, fear, and sadness in her eyes. She was a mass of emotions barely held in check. He laughed and lowered the sword. He reversed it and held the hilt to her. She took it bewildered and he moved the blade to his heart.

"One movement and I will be dead. As you like," Mushu nodded his head.

She dropped the sword, hands shaking, tears running down her cheek. Mushu took a step forward and embraced the poor child. She sobbed and cursed in his arms. He felt like a father again and it did not feel good.


	13. Forgive and Forget

Wow A 'D' in Block and I'm writing a new chapter. FAIL. Oh well. Sucks for me. Great for the readers. -_- But I'll feel better if someone reviewed my story.

For this chapter, I've decided to change the Serra and Erk joining. I didn't get why they were in the middle of the woods trying to get to Ostia. Serra and Erk don't seem like idiots. That is why the meeting will be different. Plus, I have a good idea for the Ganelon bandit's final appearance. For those of you who kept up, you should know that Carjiga is stil alive due to my meddling. He's going to have an interesting role.

That was a long summary type thing. Now enjoy.

Disclaimer- n o p e

* * *

Forgive and Forget

"Will you help me?" a mage asked Mushu. The mage was dressed in a simple light blue journeyman outfit. Over it he wore a red cloak. His dark purple hair and young face belied the intelligence and seriousness in his eyes.

"With what again?" Mushu asked uncertainly.

The crew now called Lyndis's Legion, courtesy of Wil, has arrived at a small village near Araphen. Once they go through the village and subsequently Araphen, they will have reached the outskirts of Caelin. From there it would be a three day's journey to the castle where Lyn's grandfather was waiting. But first things first, the Legion was tired and weary. A good night's sleep would do them all good. That was why they were all asleep in rooms paid for by Mushu. Mushu himself was having a quiet drink when this young mage came up to him.

"Take that thing off my hands," he pointed to a girl dressed in white cleric robes with long pink hair tied in pigtails. She was currently complaining to a waitress about how her meal was cold. Maybe if she didn't order then take a bath the meal might have been warm.

"I don't understand," Mushu scratched his head.

"Take her to Ostia or Bern or Ilia. Wherever! Just take her off my hands. I can't take it anymore. I'll pay you however much you want," the mage pulled his hair.

"Now now. Uh…" Mushu gestured for the young man to supply him his name.

"Erk. I'm an Etrurian mage undertaking a pilgrimage to further myself," Erk supplied.

"Right Erk. And she is…" Mushu gestured to the girl that was now screaming.

"Serra. A young cleric in the service of House Ostia and Saint Elimine," Erk said.

"Right right. So you wish for me to take her to Ostia in exchange for-" Mushu began.

"Anything. I'll pay any price. Just get rid of her," Erk interrupted.

Mushu sighed, "I have no interest in taking her along. She's… annoying."

Erk gritted his teeth, "I'm well aware of that. That's why I'm propositioning you."

"I have special business in Caelin. She will only be a burden," Mushu made to rise out of his seat.

"Wait," Erk got up as well.

Mushu sighed again, "What? I am rather tired and I want some rest."

"What do you want?" Erk asked.

"Look. Why not make that offer to others? I'm sure someone would accept your offer," Mushu scratched his chin in thought.

"None would accept. Besides she would not be willing to go with another person. She told me she will only terminate the contract if I could somehow get a large group of bodyguards for her," Erk said exasperated.

Mushu was getting irritated, "Just give her the money back."

"She refused," Erk answered.

"The answer is no," Mushu turned his back, "But you are welcome to come with us. When our business in Caelin is done, I can arrange for a transport for you two."

"I suppose that's the best I can do," Erk sighed, "Very well. I'll join you."

"I want my money back!" Serra was now stomping the ground.

"Excuse me," Erk bowed and left to hold the girl back before they get kicked out. He wondered if pleading insanity would help.

The next day, the group exited the inn with Erk and Serra in tow. Mushu explained to the rest of them that Erk and Serra would be traveling with them. Lyn and Mushu didn't give them much room to refuse. They would help out with the fighting. Kent lost his argument. Serra's a female. Sain's out. Natalie took a liking to Serra and Erk. Dorcas could only comply. Wil struck up a conversation with Erk about long range attacks. Florina was too meek to argue and was actually hoping Serra could help her with her shyness.

"Where are we heading?" Lyn asked.

"To Araphen. We have to pass through to reach Caelin," San explained.

"Where's Kent?" Lyn asked.

"He has traveled ahead to plead our case to the Marquess," Sain said.

"Will it work?" Lyn asked.

"Perhaps. The Marquess there is a fool but he had a special relationship with Caelin so he should provide support to you," Mushu jumped in.

"Relationship?" Lyn asked puzzled.

"He courted your mother but his advances were spurned. As you know, she married your father Hassar," Mushu answered.

Right as he answered she asked another, "Why do you call him a fool?"

Mushu sighed and spurred his horses on, "A fool's a fool."

"That doesn't answer the question," Lyn pointed out.

"My lady. It may be best you are not aware of everything as of yet. When we get there, please allow Kent and Lord Mushu handle the talking," Sain urged.

Lyn narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean?"

Sain looked a little uncomfortable, "I mean no offense my lady but you do have a short temper and a poison tongue."

"I see. So that is how you see me. Do you feel the same Mushu?" Lyn asked.

Though she found out the truth about him, she accepted them as a fact of life. The Vindictives were responsible for her tribe's death but not everyone was guilty. Mushu was glad she learned to be more objective in her reasoning though he was concerned for her when the time came for her to fight her uncle.

Now they got along swimmingly. The wall separating the two was pretty much dissolved. They were more at ease with each other like the relationship between a father and daughter. For Lyn, that meant a new family. For Mushu it meant a second chance.

"Of course not. Though you are stubborn that is also a good point of yours," Mushu gave a cowardly answer.

"So it was only Sain," Lyn glared at the aforementioned man.

"But I-" Sain protested.

"Give it up Sain. You dug your own grave," Wil said from inside the wagon. Mushu had sold some weapons in the last village so there was more space now.

"But I was only-" Sain tried again. But no one was listening.

A little while later, they arrived at the front gates of Araphen. They were greeted by Kent who ordered the guards to let them through. Once inside the gates Kent told them the great news. The Marquess was willing to help but first, he wanted to see Lyn's face. Lyn was puzzled but agreed to go.

Kent motioned for her to follow him. No sooner than she took her first step than an arrow whished past her ear and imbedded itself in an unkempt man's chest. Lyn and the others turned to the new threat.

The archer was Sacaen. That was their first impression. He had short hair the same color as Lyn's though of a darker shade. In his hands was a small but deadly bow named the Short Bow for its size. The small size allowed easy handling and lower draws strength. On it an arrow was notched and pointed at them. Then just as quickly it was lowered.

"It's not safe here. Retreat to the keep," his low voice rang out.

"We will not until you tell us what just happened," Lyn snapped.

"You are Sacaen?" the man asked.

Lyn placed her hands on her hips, "So what if I am?"

"And are you the noble the Marquess is expecting?" the nomad had a faint trace of humor in his tone.

"And if I was?" Lyn shot.

"Then this dull afternoon is about to get more interesting. At any rate, I could use some help," the man indicated.

"We'll be glad to-" Lyn indicated for the Sacaen to give his name.

"I am Rath, leader of the castle guards," Rath nodded.

Lyn gave the Legion's names and members. Rath nodded his approval of the ranks, "They look fit to fight. It's my honor Lyn of the Lorca."

"The pleasure's mine Rath of Kutolah," Lyn gave a small bow.

Mushu cleared his throat, "Now that introductions are over with, we do have enemies to fight."

Kent jumped in, "Yes. Time is of the essence. My lady, we must be swift."

"Thank you Kent. Now would you get Sain, Wil, and Dorcas? I want you three to help the southern effort," Mushu ordered.

Kent made to protest but Mushu cut him off, "I know. I know. 'But the lady' right? There's no helping that. You, Rath, and I are likely the only ones that know the layout of this place."

Kent looked a little indignant at being imitated but gave a small imperial bow to the lady and gathered his force. Before they left, Rath told them there would be a special gate.

"If enemies have penetrated the gate, then you must press the switch there and hold your position. Only when all the switches are pressed can we reach the Marquess," Rath informed.

Kent gave a curt nod and galloped away with the others at his tail. Something was eating at him. That was clear but no one seemed to know what it was exactly. Sain and Mushu had a guess though.

"Alright. Lyn, take the others along with Rath and clear the east. I'll head north. Wait until the gate is opened then charge and do what you want," Mushu directed.

"With all due respect," Rath began but clearly there was none in his voice, "there is a switch that controls that gate to the north. Are you sure you can take care of it alone?"

"I have a contact that should help me with the task. If I fail, then I'll send a signal or something," Mushu rubbed his temples, frustrated that Rath was of the "everyone but Sacaens aren't worth the dirt they step on" persuasion.

"If Mushu says he'll be fine, then we should count on him," Lyn put in.

Rath looked unconvinced but Lyn pointed out that Florina could go with him and help him if needed. That served to persuade him a bit so before he could say anything else, Mushu ran off.

"He left his wagon," Rath frowned.

"Yes. He did, didn't he?" Lyn said.

Rath turned to her, "I hope you are not suggesting we guard it."

"No. Let's just go. We have a marquess to save," Lyn shook her head and ran off with the remaining members at her heels.

Florina took to the skies on Huey and surveyed the surroundings. Once she was at a comfortable height, Huey moved suddenly and she lost her balance temporarily. Before she could admonish the Pegasus though, he made a dive towards the ground. Florina could not even scream.


	14. Huey and Makar

It's been a while since the last update but I've been busy doing stuff. ANyways, I quite like this chapter so give some feedback alright? It's really late so my brain is kind of fried.

Anyways, have you guys noticed Huey and Makar are both names used for Florina's pegasus? I'm going to tie that in.

* * *

Huey and Makar

A little bit away, Mushu had arrived at a small house. It was an ordinary house, made in the same color and style as the others down the row from it. From an outsider's perspective, this house would be long to a middle class family who are rarely home. The reality was the house was a meeting place for Ostia and its helpers.

Mushu knocked three times and then once more. He followed with a repetition of small taps. Then he waited three seconds and twisted the knob. The door swung open and he walked in. He was met with a knife at his throat.

"It's me," he whispered.

The assailant lowered the knife and a candle was lit. In the light, the assailant lowered his cowl and a rather youthful face showed. He had sandy blonde hair and a cheerful looking face. Yet with his innocence, Mushu knew the boy was a skilled fighter.

"You're a bit late," the boy said.

Mushu scratched the back of his head, "You are aware there is a battle going on?"

"It doesn't concern Ostia. It doesn't concern me," the boy stated.

"Still, your report won't look good if the one you were sent to monitor was dead and you could have prevented it," Mushu pointed out.

The boy had an exasperated look on his face, "I doubt she'll die that easily."

"But she may unless you help us," Mushu said.

"I am really busy," the boy made to get away but Mushu's hand gripped his shoulder.

"Leaving without your report?" Mushu held up a piece of parchment.

The boy reached for it, "Thanks. Almost forgot."

Mushu shook his head and held the paper over the candle. The candle quickly burnt the paper, reducing it to ashes. The boy groaned loudly.

"Now you can't leave," Mushu pointed out.

"Why should I help?" the boy whined.

Mushu sighed. His patience was wearing thin. He said in an aggravated tone, "So you can get the report faster. We both know you want to leave as fast as possible."

The boy whined a bit more but good naturedly said, "Okay. Let's go."

"I hate young people," Mushu mumbled at the boy's sudden attitude change.

Meanwhile, Lyn's group was finished with the enemies outside the gate. Now, all they needed was for the switches to be pressed. Lyn was getting antsy. The gate should have opened by now.

"Lyndis. Are you all right?" Rath asked.

Lyn murmured, "They should have been done by now. I have a bad feeling about this."

"If they are half as good as you say they are, they should be fine," Rath said.

"It's going to rain. I can feel it in my bones," Lyn stood up from where she was sitting. Rain was an omen for Sacaens. When one can feel it in their bones, someone they know was going to die.

"I have to go," Lyn ran ahead.

Rath swore, "You two. Stay here. I'll go after her.

Erk looked pale. He would have to spend the next few minutes with Serra alone. Serra on the other hand looked appalled that she was being shoved aside and given orders.

By this time, Florina crashed to the ground. Huey softened her landing so she had no serious injuries. When she tried getting up though, she felt a sharp pain course through her left arm. It was broken. When she turned to berate Huey, she saw three arrows protruding from his right hind leg. The pain must have been excruciating. All of Florina's anger, however small, dissipated and she moved to tend to her steed.

Before she could do anything though, an arrow slammed into her left shoulder. Crying out in pain, she turned to see ten soldiers in white armor. They bore no insignia but they were clearly enemies. Three of them were archers and each had another arrow nocked on their bow. Two others had crossbows ready to fire. Unable to fight, it seemed like the end for them.

That was when Huey roared. He got up in a flash and charged the small band. The troop fired on the Pegasus. Two arrows slammed into his flesh. The rest missed entirely. Huey struck hard. He trampled two of them under his feet and tossed another high up. The rest of the soldiers braced themselves to kill the crazed beast. One succeeded in swiping his sword against Huey's mane but Huey ran him down as well.

Then more soldiers arrived. There were no more than ten of them but they were all archers. They aimed their bows at Florina and fired. Huey, sensing his master was in danger, had rushed back. He made it just in time to shield Florina from all the arrows.

"Huey! No!" Florina cried. Tears streaked her face. Huey looked down and came as close to smiling as a horse can.

Minutes later, the barrage ended. When Florina got out from underneath Huey, she saw her friends killing the last of her assailants. Lyn ran to her and held her close. Florina cried and cried. Mushu checked on Huey though there was no real need.

The rest of the campaign seemed insignificant in the face of Huey's heroic sacrifice. The rest of the enemy forces seemed to just disappear. Maybe it was due to the prowess of the Araphen royal guard. Perhaps it was due to the losses on the other side. Whatever it was, it mattered little to the small band of travelers. All they wanted was to bury the Pegasus.

They had a small ceremony for the winged horse. Each said some kind of last words to the departed ally. The majority of the fighters remained behind while Lyn, Kent, Sain, Rath, Mushu, and upon Mushu's asking, their newest recruit Matthew headed to the castle for an audience with the Marquess. Lyn was not happy about a thief joining their group but after the day's events, she just let it go.

When the group arrived at the castle, Mushu and Matthew split off from the others, saying they have some other business. Lyn let them go without any fuss. Rath, however, seemed reluctant to let a thief walk free but respected Lyn's tiredness and let them go as well with a warning that if they take anything, he'll personally string them up by their thumbs. He said that to the two privately of course.

Mushu and Matthew headed for a course both of them knew. Mushu had given Matthew special instructions to "liberate" some goods while he checked on something in the stables. If his suspicions were correct, then this trip would not be a complete mistake. The goods would be insurance if the Marquess did not help. The stable journey was the key to their future though.

Meanwhile, Lyn, Sain, and Kent were led by Rath to the Marquess's throne room. When they got there, Lyn instantly disliked the man. True to Mushu's depictions, the Marquess was an obvious buffoon. He was overweight and had a beer belly. Surrounded by an entourage of women and men, he seemed rather out of place. When he got up, his gait was clumsy. Frankly, Lyn has seen pigs more graceful than this slob.

"Marquess Araphen, I present the Lady Lyndis and her companions, the knights Sain and Kent," Rath indicated to each.

The Marquess spoke in a slightly shrill voice that grated on Lyn's ears, "Hm. Yes. Very good. Leave us would you?"

Rath gave a slight bow and left the room. This left the knights and Lyn with the Marquess. The Marquess frowned and motioned for his attendants to leave him. When they did, he motioned for Lyn to do the same with the knights.

Lyn shook her head, "They are friends and comrades of mine. I would like for them to stay."

The Marquess sputtered, "Insolent girl. This is a private matter. Tell your little knights to go play outside for a while."

"I have nothing to hide from them Marquess," Lyn stated calmly.

"I should've expected this from a savage. After bring trouble to my domain-" the Marquess began.

Lyn interrupted, "Excuse me? How did we bring trouble to your city? I was under the impression we helped save it."

The Marquess's face turned a fine shade of red, "Those men were here for you! If you weren't here, none of this would have happened. Yes if you never existed all would have been well. Ah Madeline was a fool for choosing that savage. I could have given her everything she could have wanted, but she was tricked by that savage"

He spat out that entire monologue. At the end of it, Lyn's eyes were full of pity and contempt. She knew she should be angry and she was. But overall, she just felt sorry for the man before her. He was such a sad person, trapped in his own mind. Her mother told her those kinds of people were the loneliest and should not be judged for their actions. To do so would make her as weak as them.

"Your honor. You are speaking out of line," Kent stepped in.

"You bastard. Watch your tongue or I'll cut it off for you," Sain added angrily.

Lyn just calmly said, "Kent. Sain. We're going."

"What?" Sain asked incredulously. He half expected her to jump the fool. He would have been glad to help too.

"My lady? Are you sure?" Kent asked carefully. Truthfully, Kent wanted to do the same as Sain.

"He has no intention to help us. I'm not going to stand here and let him insult my proud heritage anymore," Lyn said as she opened the door and left the room. The knights followed leaving the red faced Marquess to sputter insults and curses.

Outside the door, they met Rath again. By the look in his eyes, he had heard the conversation. Lyn looked him in the eye and nodded her goodbye. He did likewise. Kent patted his shoulder and left without a word as well. When it was Sain's turn, he stopped short.

He looked Rath in the eye and asked him, "Where is your pride?"

Rath looked downcast as Sain followed his liege and friend. That question would weigh on him throughout the night. For now, he turned to the soldier barracks to count how many men he still had left.

In the forest outside the city, Lyn and company met with Mushu and the others. Mushu and Matthew got some souvenirs for the trip. Among these gifts was a Seraph Robe, an artifact made during the Dragon Age, and an Armorslayer, a valuable sword with a heavier tip made to pierce armor. Lyn laughed watching Mushu frantically trying to get Serra to leave the robe alone, screaming that an ancient artifact should not be worn. Somehow she felt better.

The next day, the group traveled quite far from Araphen. Now they were only a few days from Caelin. Luckily Natalie had driven Mushu's wagon out of harm's way. It seemed that nobody remembered Natalie was in the wagon when Mushu bellowed out orders. She had taken it upon herself to drive the wagon to a safe zone. The wagon was more crowded than ever with Natalie, Dorcas, Lyn, Mushu, and now Florina in the wagon.

Sain and Wil were already riding together and Kent was carrying supplies. There was quite literally no room left. With the loss of Huey, the pace slowed down as well. Their distance traveled in a day was cut in half. Now when time was of the essence, this was a huge setback. They entertained the idea of buying some horses but Mushu pointed out these new horses would not be battle ready and a horse that runs away required time to hunt down. So they settled for the slower pace.

Florina was still downtrodden by the death of Huey. She cried through the night. When she got up in the morning, her face was pale and she looked sickly. She didn't eat last night or this morning. They were all worried about her but she wouldn't talk with anyone, not even Lyn.

Time was of the essence though. Her arm was healed though it would still be tender for a while. The wound in her heart would need time that they don't have. She went along with everyone and didn't slow anyone down but Mushu had already made an agreement with everyone. If they should come upon another group of foes, Dorcas and Natalie were to take Florina in Mushu's wagon and run away. It was the least and most they could do for her right now.

By noon, the group had settled down for lunch. While eating they heard the sound of galloping coming fast upon them. Wil was on lookout and informed them that a horse and rider were coming in fast. By their side was a white horse. When they got closer, the group saw that the rider was Rath and by his side was a Pegasus. Florina was the first to notice and a part of her dreamed it was Huey but as the figures came closer to view, she knew the Pegasus wasn't.

"Rath. Why are you here?" Lyn greeted.

"I was reflecting on something someone asked me," Rath looked at Sain briefly, "And I realized that I had cast away my pride for too long. Now I wish to regain it by fighting at your side."

"We would be glad to have you with us," Lyn agreed instantly.

"Thank you," Rath said. Once again, he didn't look at anyone but Lyn.

Rath walked over to his horse and rummaged in the sack and brought out a large bag and handed it to Lyn. It was full of gold coins. Lyn made to give it back but Rath rejected it.

"It is the money made from my betrayal of my people. Please put it to good use. I don't want it anymore," Rath said.

"Then we gladly accept," Mushu jumped in and snatched the bag of money away.

"This isn't your place to interrupt," Rath snarled at Mushu.

Mushu shrugged, "Lyn can't use money well so I'm her designated money management."

"What about the pegasus?" Lyn tried changing the subject.

Rath scratched the back of his head, "It was in the Marquess's private stables. I thought he would be happier flying free than being cooped up in a cage. But he's a little difficult."

"Difficult?" Lyn frowned.

"He's very stubborn. I have never seen anyone ride him," Rath admitted.

"Nonsense. Watch," Sain grinned and went to stroke the pegasus's mane. The winged beast quickly bit him. Sain screamed and pulled his hand back.

"I warned him," Rath mumbled.

"Have you tried?" Lyn asked.

Rath had a small blush on his face, "He bit me too."

"Maybe he just needs a feminine touch," Lyn said as she walked over to the horse and tried to stroke its mane. She was close but he bit her too.

Lyn brandished her sword threateningly and smiled, "How do you like your horse? Roasted or fried?"

"Calm down," Mushu sighed and dragged Lyn away, "Florina. You try."

"No. He's not Huey," the girl mumbled.

Mushu went over and whispered quietly, "Huey's gone. He gave himself to save you. I can honestly say he is one of the bravest and noblest of anyone I've met. But he wouldn't want to see you moping and crying over him. After all, he didn't sacrifice himself for you to give up."

There was a tense silence before Florina declared, "You're right but I still want him back."

Then she started crying. Lyn hugged the girl and Rath dropped the pegasus's reins. The horse walked over to Florina and nuzzled her hand. He had seen her kind nature and accepted her. He grabbed her with his teeth and threw her onto his back. She was surprised when he started flying but soon she was laughing as well.

"Sometimes an animal knows better than we people do," Mushu smiled, "Thank you Rath for bring him here."

"His name is Makar," Rath replied.

"'Blessed' eh? That's fitting. His presence here has truly been a blessing," Mushu said.

Everyone else just groaned at his poor humor.


	15. Options

Konnonichiwa. That's right. I know Japanese. PSYCHE. I know as much Japanese as a Tibetan monk, provided the monk is a hermit who never learned Japanese. Anyways, new chapter. It's a bit longer than the others. I've come to a decision. NO MORE CHAPTERS THIS LONG. It kind of kills the idea and my brain cells. It's easier to write shorter chapters for faster updates than a somewhat longer but longer update time chapter.

Not mine for a disclaimer

Long rambling over. Please enjoy this new installment of ATA. Remember to leave a review.

Speaking of reviews (guess ramblings not over yet)- Thank yous to:

kminsang,

patattack,

Anonymous (srsly I have no idea who sent it)

* * *

Options

With the addition of Rath and Makar, the journey to Caelin Castle was continuing smoothly. With another horse (Rath's), the weight each horse had to carry was lessened and the speed increased. Eventually they arrived at a small mountainous region on the outskirts of Khathelet. Soon they would reach Caelin. For now at least, Mushu has recommended they stop and rest before traversing the hilly landscape.

"The hills would be difficult and time consuming to cross. I would rather the horses be well rested before having to climb," Mushu explained.

"But on such heavy terrain, we wouldn't be riding them anyways. We would be leading, correct?" Wil asked.

Mushu nodded, "True but they **are** the ones that are carrying our packs. Not to mention, my horses are carrying a few tons of steel on their backs."

"Can't you just dump all those weapons somewhere?" Lyn asked a bit peeved. She was anxious. She was so close to meeting her grandfather and she wanted to get there as fast as possible.

Mushu frowned, "There are not a large number of people willing to buy weapons in the middle of a forest… unless you want me to sell it to bandits."

Lyn sighed, "No. I'm just a bit anxious. That's all."

"We've arrived," Kent shouted.

"Good. I can't wait for a warm bed for a change," Mushu grunted and drove the wagon on faster.

Meanwhile, in the town they were arriving at, there was a commotion at an inn. A boy and girl, both with pale green hair and innocent red eyes, were arguing with the innkeeper.

"Why are you chasing us out? You were so kind before," the boy questioned softly.

"That was before I knew that some people were chasing you and the Black Fang no less. If they find you here, I'll get killed too," the innkeeper said nervously.

"But my sister is very ill. She needs to rest. I beg you. Please, just one more night," the boy pleaded.

"No. Now get out or I'll throw you out my-" but he never got to finish his sentence. He suddenly gripped his throat as if something was choking him. A moment later his body exploded and blood and gore splattered across the dusty room. The boy cried in alarm and the sister seemed to faint. A man in black surrounded by a retinue of fifteen armed guards entered the room.

"I am Heintz. On orders of Master Nergal, the siblings are to return to Valor," Heintz said. His voice was like a whisper and he repeated the same sentences again and again. He was an echo of a man, devoid of energy with a single purpose. The boy embraced his sister in fear, knowing they would now be forced to return to their captivity.

By this time, Mushu and company have arrived at the small village. When they dismounted and prepared to enter the inn, they sensed something was wrong. On closer inspection, there was no sound. In a small village, a lack of noise was not uncommon but any village devoid of sound was suspicious. The last time they encountered such a village, they found Wil with a bunch of slave traders.

"Sain. Kent. Do a perimeter scan. It's too quiet," Mushu whispered. The two knights nodded and remounted their horses. They set off at a gallop to make the rounds. When they left, Rath fired one arrow at the inn's door. The others turned to him and he indicated at the inn. Lyn and Mushu both nodded. They too have caught the movements by the door.

Signaling Matthew to open the door, Mushu motioned for Rath and Wil to shoot whatever popped out. When the door was unlocked, Matthew slowly and gently kicked it open. Then he jumped into the bushes and allowed Rath and Wil to face the brunt of the assailants that charged outside. There were a variety of warriors but with the distance Wil and Rath had and the help Erk provided from a little further back, the twelve warriors that attacked were put down quickly.

When everyone was about to relax, Rath was suddenly hit in the back by a black ball of energy. Serra immediately rushed to tend to Rath's wound. Mushu swore and told Wil and Erk to kill the assailant. They each attacked and Dorcas chipped in with a few hand axes he took from Mushu's wagon but none of the attacks reached the shaman. Everything was swallowed up by another one of those black balls of energy. It grew larger and larger in size with everything it absorbed. The assailant threw the large sphere of energy at the crew.

Just when Mushu thought they were all dead, the black ball dissipated. The large chunk of dark energy just vanished. Both sides were surprised by the sudden act until a blue and white robed monk appeared from the nearby woods. She held in her hands a tome of Light. She made a placating gesture to indicate she meant no harm.

Apparently the other mage was not so peaceful. He fired another ball of dark energy, this time at the monk. The monk gave a sigh and raised her hands. She chanted a few simple lines and a small sphere of light was released to meet the big sphere of darkness. Lyn wanted to shout for the poor girl to run but Mushu held out his hand for her to stand down. To her amazement, the small sphere of light dissipated the huge sphere of darkness and hit the dark mage. The dark mage uttered a groan and collapsed.

"How?" Lyn asked in amazement.

"Compression," Mushu explained, "Attacks are not always flashy. In magic, when one has reached a certain level, they are able to compress their magic. By sacrificing range, they can double the power of the spell."

"Range for power. That doesn't seem very useful," Lyn frowned.

"Perhaps but for servants of the light, it is a very useful tactic," the woman said in a light and gentle voice, "We do not have much power but our faith allows us to manipulate magic as if it was a part of our body."

"That's amazing! I wish I can do that with my sword," Lyn said wistfully, "Um. Who are you?"

"I am a servant of the light, sworn to the holy Saint Elimine. My name is Lucius," the woman bowed.

"Lucius? Isn't that a male name?" Serra asked as she walked up to them. Turning to Mushu, she said, "Rath's fine. He'll be sore for a while but he'll live."

"That's good to know," Mushu said, "And yes. Lucius is a male name traditionally though I suppose it can be a woman's name as well."

"Perhaps but, oh, I see. You believe I am a woman yes?" Lucius suggested. Everyone nodded to Lucius's dismay, "I hate to disappoint but I am a man."

No one seemed like they believe that for a second. At that moment, Sain and Kent returned from their perimeter check. They dismounted and Kent told them the surroundings were safe though he did see a small party near a small stream south of the town. Sain saw Lucius and immediately went to flirt. Meanwhile, Dorcas took the liberty to check the dark mage for vital signs. Satisfied, he tied him up with some kind of whip thing from Mushu's wagon.

"Oh fair beauteous lady, if you would be so kind as to bless my ears with your name, I would sing a thousand hymns for thee," Sain kissed Lucius's hand.

Lucius felt awkward, "Um. I am Lucius but I-"

"Oh beautiful Lucius, a more pleasing song I have never heard. If trees could sing, the entire forest would have been in chorus at your presence," Sain cut Lucius off.

"I hate to break it to you lover boy but she is a he," Serra chirped.

"That can't be true. Hairs like blonde silk, fragile stature, and pale porcelain-like skin, how could she be a he? Surely you jest," Sain said a bit alarmed but still keeping up the charm.

"She isn't," Lucius replied.

Mushu put his hand on Sain's shoulder, "If it makes you feel any better, we all thought he was a she at first."

"But we didn't ask him ask," Wil snickered.

"B-but," Sain stammered.

"You can let go of my hand now," Lucius said. Sain jerked back and sank down on the ground. His horse came over and nudged his rider, trying to offer comfort. It seemed like the horse has been through this before.

"Now that Lucius's gender is confirmed, we have a little matter with the shaman Dorcas has kindly tied up with my Elysian Whip. Why oh why did you have to use a priceless artifact for this? I had some rope in a bin," Mushu sighed.

Dorcas shrugged, "This was closer."

Mushu gave Dorcas a dirty look who shrugged it off good-naturedly, "Now then, time to wake him up."

He slapped the mage around until he came to. Mushu asked him, "Who are you working for? Why are you here? What happened to the townsfolk?"

The mage only said, "Failure is not an option." He died an instant later.

"What happened to him?" Lyn asked.

Mushu shook his head, "Poison hidden in a molar. He killed himself."

"Judging by the method and the insignia on his cloak, he is Black Fang," Lucius put in.

"Wait. What is a Black Fang and what is a shaman?" Lyn asked.

"A shaman is a practitioner of the elder arts. They are the rarest breed of mages," Mushu answered the latter.

"Why?" Lyn asked.

"Unlike the other types of magic, anima and light, dark tomes cannot be made. Even for light and anima tomes, only the lowest level of tomes can be recreated. But even the lowest level dark tomes cannot be reproduced," Mushu said.

"Why?" Lyn asked.

Mushu raised an eyebrow, "How should I know?"

Lyn spread her arms wide, "You know a lot of stuff that we don't really care about. I only assumed you knew stuff we wanted to know too."

Mushu grumbled, "Youths these days. No respect. No respect at all."

"If I may," Lucius put in, "The reason for this isn't discovered yet. That is true. However we have discovered something new about the elder books. You see, these tomes appear to choose their wielder."

Now it was Mushu's turn to ask, "Choose?"

Lucius nodded, "It appears that these tomes choose someone worthy enough to use them. If an ordinary man were to lay his hands on one, he will go mad."

Mushu scratched his head, "Good to know." He was going to take the tome from the dead man.

"Furthermore, the tome disappears when the wielder dies," Lucius indicated to the dead shaman.

Dorcas checked for a book of some kind but couldn't find any, "He's right. I could have sworn he had one too."

"The latest theory at the apothecary is that the tomes disappear and then finds a new user, much like a parasite. What's more, all practitioners meet with a quick end. That is why in these days we must all pray for the poor lost souls out there so their sufferings will lessen," Lucius knelt by the dead man started praying.

"That's pretty creepy," Lyn said, "And about the Black Fang?"

"You have the attention span of a flea," Mushu muttered, "The Black Fang I heard of were vigilantes of sorts. They take jobs to… right wrongs and eliminate problems. I don't know what they were doing here though."

"Somebody was taken," Kent emerged from the inn. No one seemed to notice he was gone the whole time. "There were signs of a struggle but whoever was resisting was weak. They are long gone."

"Any idea where?" Mushu asked.

"It might be the group we saw by the river," Sain spoke up.

Lyn joked, "Already recovered from flirting with a man?"

Sain shook his head, "In my defense, he is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Plus I've done worse."

"It's true. Once he proposed to a man disguised in women's clothing. He had a five 'o'clock shadow, clogged sinuses, and reeked of alcohol," Kent recalled.

"Was Sain drunk?" Lyn asked.

"Unfortunately no. The man's back was very slim and he had a feminine walk. Sain assumed it was a woman and well…" Kent trailed off.

"Thank you, for helping me relive a nightmare Kent. Really appreciate it. Shouldn't we get going?" Sain grumbled.

Mushu nodded, "We can swap embarrassing stories later. We have to get some answers now."

In a matter of moments, the party left with Lucius in tow. The young monk wanted to help in any way he can to lessen the bloodshed. Mushu muttered something incomprehensible under his breath that sounded like "impossible."

When they reached the river, they heard voices in the distance. One voice sounded cruel and vicious with a hint of fear. The other voice sounded pure and sad. This voice sounded fearful but not for himself. That told the group more than one has been taken.

Knowing speed was of the essence, Mushu asked Rath and Florina to stay behind to guard the wagon and Natalie. Both seemed about to protest but Mushu pointed out Rath's injuries and Florina's inexperience riding Makar as of now. Neither seemed willing to give in so Lyn came in and said that their job was very important. To Mushu, that sounded like a parent talking down to a child but Rath and Florina both reluctantly gave in.

Shaking his head, Mushu started to run with the others in tow. Gasping for breath, they arrived at a seemingly abandoned fortress. Seemingly was the right word. There were voices inside. Mushu and Dorcas both looked at the fortress in amazement. They had been here before.

Walking up to Mushu, Dorcas whispered, "This is…"

Mushu nodded, "Yes."

Dorcas shook his head, "I thought the damn place was burned to the ground by the Lycians."

"It was made of stone so the entire thing wouldn't have burnt. It's a sorry sight indeed," Mushu turned to the others who were standing by.

Somewhere along the course of the journey, they have accepted Mushu as their tactician/advisor. Lyn was the leader though she didn't know it, but Mushu's orders were what they followed. Mushu both loved and hated this responsibility. The last time he led, his friends and comrades…

"There's a secret entrance around the back. It leads to the cellar of the fortress. Lucius, Lyn, Matthew, and I will take that route. Dorcas, you take Sain, Kent, Erk, and Serra. When you hear screams and whatnot, charge in," Mushu directed. Everyone nodded.

Leading his group to the secret entrance, Mushu was pulled aside by Lyn, "How'd you know there's an entrance?"

"It was the base of the Vindictives. The Lycians burned it down until this ratty old thing is what's left," Mushu said and urged them to move faster. There was no guarantee that the captives would still be here.

Meanwhile, inside the fortress, the two blue haired siblings were thrown into an empty chamber. Chipped white walls and a wooden door was all they could see. The girl was finally stirring.

"Nils? Where are we?" she said in a serene voice.

Nils looked indignant, "Those guys came and took us away again. Why can't they leave us alone?"

The girl held her brother's face in her hands, "It's because we are special Nils. No matter what happens, never forget that. You have a special future ahead of you. And a part of me is afraid I won't be there when you need me."

"Ninian? What are you talking about?" Nils asked angrily. He didn't want his only family to talk about leaving him behind.

Ninian had a faraway look in her eyes, "I had a dream. You will embark on a journey. It will be lonely but I know you can pull through it."

Nils shook free of her grasp, "I'm not ready yet."

Ninian smiled warmly, "No not yet. The journey is far in the future and not here. Back home, where our kind are waiting for our return."

"If we ever get back," Nils pouted.

Ninian looked a little sad, "We will. I sense a kindred spirit. He is connected to me somehow. I can feel him even here. A part of me wants to meet him so much but another part of me is afraid."

Nils looked curious, "Who?"

"I don't know. He has the spirit of conviction instilled in him so he must be a descendant of one of those seven," Ninian answered.

"I won't let them kill us!" Nils scowled.

"Here we are too weak. We can't even return to our true forms. I don't believe we can do anything but wait," Ninian said sadly.

Nils said hopefully, "Maybe someone else will come for us?"

"Maybe," but Ninian didn't look too hopeful, "I do sense some other presences. One has the spirit of mercy and the others have a bright aura. However one of them has a sad, kind, angry, tragic, and a whole mess of other emotions swirling in him. I worry for him."

By this time, Mushu has led Lyn and co. to the entrance. He moved some of the rocks that served to camouflage the entrance, and a small opening in the wall was discovered. He crawled in first with the others following one by one. The tunnel was not very spacious but it was secure and straightforward. Mushu was worried the tunnel might have collapsed but was pleased it didn't.

When they reached a certain point, Mushu stopped and pushed upwards. The tunnel seemed to shake a bit but Mushu continued. Soon he managed to open the way and entered into an empty room. Empty except for two blue-haired children. Judging they are not a threat, he helped pull the others up.

When everyone was up, he turned to the children, "Don't worry. We're not here to hurt you. Are you the captives the Black Fang took?"

"Are you helping us mister? If you are then you should know the Black Fang are really strong," the boy said.

Mushu ruffled the boy's hair, "Don't worry son. We're pretty strong ourselves. Now then," he turned to Lyn and the others, "We need to take them out of here via tunnel."

"Can the lady with green hair take us? I feel safer with her," the girl asked.

Lyn rejected the idea, "No way. I'm here to fight. Mushu you take them."

"They chose you. Now live with it," turning to the children he asked, "What are your names?"

"Ninian and this is Nils, my younger brother. We really appreciate this," Ninian tried to get up but failed.

"Lyn, help her out of here. The rest of you follow me. We have hell to raise," Mushu said as Lyn grumbled and helped the siblings leave.

When they were gone, Mushu and the others kicked down the door and started the attack. Outside, Dorcas heard the sounds of violence and ordered the charge. The Black Fang didn't know what hit them. All they saw were their comrades being killed one after another.

There was the powerful axe-wielder that carved his way through the crowd. There were the two knights, glorious and unstoppable. There were the mages and healer working in harmony to pound them with magic while keeping each other alive. There was the archer and old man who kept the Fang away from the only exit they knew. Then there was the thief stealing their spoils of war. Of them all, the Fang hated the thief most of all, for adding insult to injury.

The fighting soon subsided. The Fang was a trained group but with the element of surprise on their side, Lyndis's Legion, as Wil put it, was victorious. Before they left, Ninian and Nils had told them that the man in charge was taking orders from a woman. He was supposed to keep them here until a transport arrived to take them away. That meant the leader was still alive and they needed to find him.

In a back room near the rear of the fortress, Mushu heard a voice, "Failure is not an option. I failed. They'll kill me. No. I can't let them catch me. I'll rather die here."

Mushu swore and entered the room. They were too late. The man was dead. By his right hand was a small vial, presumably of poison. The man's face was pure white. He was terrified when he died. Even though he was an enemy, to die like this was too pitiful.

"He's dead. I suppose we need to head outside to check on the children," Mushu motioned for everyone to get out when he saw a glint on a table.

On the wooden table, there were a pile of papers torn to shreds, a small bottle of ink knocked over and spilling across the table, an unlit candle with wax near the base, and a small ring. The ring was silver with gold etchings of words Mushu couldn't read. When he reached for it, his hand started to burn. The ring was so cold it burned. Cursing he dropped the ring. Then he took out a small piece of cloth and wrapped the ring around it. Then he exited along with the others.

Halfway out, they were greeted by Lyn and Nils. Ninian was nowhere to be seen. Lyn hurriedly told them what happened.

"When we exited the tunnel, we started to head to where the wagon was. Before we could though, a small force suddenly appeared out of thin air. I managed to fend them off but one of them grabbed Ninian in the chaos and rode off. I tried to catch up but he was too fast," Lyn huffed.

"We have to get her back," Nils cried.

"Of course. Sain, Kent. Take Lyn and Lucius with you and track down the rider before he gets too far away," Mushu ordered.

A voice called out, "No need. I believe she is what you were looking for?"

The voice belonged to a young man with bright red hair. He had a fair face and piercing but kind blue eyes. Dressed in plate armor, blue and gold, he carried himself in the manner of nobles. Mushu instantly knew who he was.

The noble handed the girl to Mushu though Sain tried to take her off his hands, "Don't worry. She's only asleep. I found her in the hands of some greasy bandit. She was screaming and fighting so I assumed the man was not a friend. Unfortunately I had to kill him. When she saw me she fainted."

"Not a confidence builder was it?" Mushu grinned.

The young man sighed, "No it wasn't but I suppose it was refreshing from the ladies of the court with their falsities."

"Sir Mushu. How do you know the young lord?" Kent asked.

The young lord regarded Mushu curiously, "They don't know?"

"The green haired one and a purpled hair girl know. Dorcas, the axman over there, knows as well. No one else does and I prefer to keep it that way," Mushu indicated to several people except for the missing Florina.

"As you wish," turning to Kent, the young man said, "Mushu is an acquaintance of mine. My name is Eliwood of Pherae by the way."

Mushu gave introductions and invited the lad to stay with them for a night. Eliwood accepted saying there was a lot that he needed to know. Sighing, Mushu sent Sain to fetch Florina and the other two and get them to the fortress. It was going to be a long night.


	16. Brothers in Arms II

Yeah I'm back. Hopefully I'll update faster since it will be summer. Anyways enjoy and review.

Disclaimer- not mine

* * *

Brothers in Arms II

"So what are you doing now?" Eliwood asked later that night. The two were sitting far enough away from the others that their conversation would not be overheard.

"You know I'm a spy of sorts for my brother," Mushu shrugged and took a sip of the wine he had saved up. Somehow, he felt like he would need it this night.

"You should have returned by now," Eliwood claimed.

"I sent a messenger pigeon," Mushu yawned.

Eliwood shook his head, "For a matter as important as this he would have wanted a firsthand report not a bird. Is it that you don't want to abandon Lyn or is it because…"

Eliwood trailed off when he noticed the flash of pain over Mushu's face, "Sorry. That was out of line."

Mushu took a large gulp of the wine and noticed it was already half-empty, "Don't be. You would think a man my age can apologize to my own son but…"

Meanwhile, the two knights were on patrol. They didn't trust the Black Fang to give up so easily. So far there were no sudden attacks but one never knew for sure. This was a professional group of bounty hunters after all. Sain suddenly stopped short. Kent noticed and paused as well.

"What's the matter?" Kent asked his longtime companion.

Sain fell silent unsure how to word this. When Kent started walking away though he blurted, "How long are we going to follow her?"

"I will follow her until the day I die," Kent said as though it were obvious.

"Why? We swore no oath to her. Our loyalty lies with Caelin and its Marquess," Sain explained.

Kent gave him an incredulous look, "She is the Marquess's granddaughter and-"

"And the one we are fighting is the Marquess's brother," Sain finished. Seeing his partner fall silent, Sain continued, "I was fine with the journey hence far but now, we are returning to Caelin. Open your eyes Kent. By tomorrow we will be fighting with our brothers, with the very men who ate with us and swore our oath together."

Kent started walking but this time back to camp and paused long enough to whisper softly, "My eyes were open from the start."

Back at the campsite Lyn and the others were just about done with their dinner. Bartre had returned with a fat boar on his back and it was now roasting on a spit. Dorcas had to take Bartre with him to collect more firewood to prevent the man from eating the boar half raw. Now even they had returned with a bundle of branches and twigs. Mushu and Eliwood, smelling the boar meat, hurried to join them as well. At that time, Kent returned and his face was set. Sain was right on his heels.

Kent moved through the others with purpose in mind and hand near his sword. When he got to Lyn he drew his sharpened blade and held it by her neck. Rath scowled and nocked an arrow on his bow. If Kent moved one inch, a black shafted arrow would sprout from his chest. The others watched in silence with no one making any sudden movements.

"Tomorrow we head into Caelin. I have comrades there, brothers. They have sworn loyalty to the same lord as Sain and I. We have fought together, protecting each other's' lives. Are you asking the two of us to throw that away and fight for you?" Kent asked.

Lyn looked at the blade held a few inches from her neck yet strangely she didn't feel any fear or anger. She felt a strange heaviness as if this moment would set everything into motion, "No. I have never asked any of you to stand with me. Even now, all I can say is that I am grateful to you all for standing by me for so long and I will not regret anything I have done so far."

Kent regarded her answer and looked her straight in the eyes. In them, he saw no anger, pity, or hatred. All he saw was a cloudy gray that seemed to draw him in and it was then his choice became clear. He turned the sword in his hand until the flat of the blade rested on his left palm, the hilt on his right palm. Then he fell to one knee and held the sword out to Lyn.

Kent proclaimed loudly, "I, Kent of Caelin, sworn knight of the honorable Marquess Hausen, hereby offer to you the Lady Lyndis of Sacae and Caelin, daughter of Chief Hassar and Lady Madeline, my eternal loyalty. My life and sword are yours to command as you see fit."

Lyn, unsure of what to do, muttered something incoherent. Eliwood, seeing the lady's hesitance, whispered to her, "If you accept him, take the sword he proffers. Place the blade on his shoulder. The flat side! The flat side! Keep the hilt parallel with your arm and repeat after me, "Though I am unworthy of this devotion you offer, I accept the burden of your life and will treat it as I will mine. Rise, Kent of Caelin, and travel by my side 'til time doth end."

Lyn repeated this and Kent rose. When she offered his sword back, he sheathed it, knelt, kissed her hand, and walked back to his stricken companion watching silently from the woods. Kent whispered to Sain, "I'm sorry."

Sain looked at him with a blank look and ran off. Kent watched his friend leave, knowing he needed space. He felt a little guilty for not telling Sain beforehand but knew his friend would only try to deter him.

Back to the others, Lyn was still in shock over the event. All she could do was mutter to Eliwood, "What's with the "'til time doth end'" bit?"

Eliwood shrugged, "It seemed like the appropriate thing to say at the time. You could always change it. Besides, I always wanted to hear someone actually say it."

Lyn gave him a dirty look but said nothing. Instead she accepted a plate of boar meat and a bowl of soup Natalie had made. Mushu sat down beside her.

He slurped some soup, "Good soup. Better than the slop I had to eat at the beginning of the journey."

"You made the meals most of the times," Lyn pointed out, her humor returning to her.

Mushu laughed, "That's how I knew it was slop."

Lyn smiled, "I think I threw away some of it some days."

"Only some days?" Mushu joked, "I only ate the occasional game we roasted."

"I thought you looked too healthy," Lyn bit into the boar meat.

They were silent for a while. When Lyn finished her meal, Mushu mentioned, "That was a big deal what Kent did then."

"I don't think I'm prepared for this responsibility," Lyn hung her head down.

Mushu looked confused, "What responsibility? Nothing changed. He's still with us. He just openly declared what he felt. We're all still here. Lundgren still has to be defeated. I still have a headache. Nothing's changed."

Lyn shook her head, "He never meant me any harm did he?"

Mushu answered, "No. I don't think he would ever hurt you. Him and Rath would never betray you."

Lyn looked puzzled, "Why?"

"That's for you to figure out," Mushu chuckled.

He was wrong. The next day, after everyone had woken up, no one could find Sain. His horse and he had disappeared. Kent's heart weighed heavily. This was his fault and now he may have to fight his best friend.


End file.
